Smoke and Mirrors
by I prefer to remain anonymous
Summary: AU: My life used to consist of waking up, drinking coffee, and going to class. Well, it was until my annoying neighbor decided to flood both our flats. Now, my life consists of waking up, avoiding his latest sexual escapee, getting band from the only decent coffee shop I know, and hopelessly falling in love with him. I would see it as an improvement, if only he went for gingers.
1. Chapter 1: Prologue

**So, it's been a while and I'm back to my TMI roots, hopefully with something new – actually, scratch that, this **_**is **_**something new. Enjoy.**

_**Clary**_

Living above a coffee shop did have its benefits, especially considering my main form of function is coffee.

Java Lava Coffee & Cream Coffee Stop serves the best coffee in the entirety of London, no questions asked. And waking up to the smell of freshly ground coffee beans every morning was perfect, and life couldn't have gotten any better. But when things can't get better, they can only get worse. And that worse came one Thursday evening, when I was sitting quite contently on my couch, channel surfing, a box of pizza open on my stomach, wearing my green Kermit the Frog pyjamas and my fluffy bunny slippers, and all of a sudden I am drenched by a gallon of water falling from the ceiling, pizza and bunny slippers and all.

Suffice to say, I was not impressed. And even less so when I was forced out of my apartment, looking like a drowned rat, and down into Java Lava Coffee & Cream Coffee Stop that serves the best coffee in the entirety of London in nothing but my embarrassing pyjamas, and in front of the remainder or the customers that remained finishing of their coffees, having to explain myself to the extremely good looking manager of the shop that it was _not_ my fault that all of his coffee beans were soaked, all of his customers were complaining, and that if he was in search of someone to blame he need to go another floor up to my goddamned neighbour, if that's what you could call him, that lives above me and demand an explanation from him!

It seemed Mr Hot Guy Manager listened to my advised because soon after disappearing upstairs he returned with the suspect in discussion, Jace his name was, and the first thing Jace did was laugh when he saw me. He then went on to make some stupid joke about my appearance and then going on to tell Mr Hot Guy Manager that it wasn't actually his fault his bath overflowed, and if anyone was to be blamed it was the company his bath was from for making 'unreliable products'.

However, despite my accusation of Jace and his accusation of his bath, we both ended up getting asked to leave our apartments, and no matter how much I argued how unfair that was, how I should not be blamed for something he did, and if it wasn't for his idiocy this would never have happened, I was not allowed to stay. But no matter how much I pinned the blame on Jace I was told I had to gather my things immediately and to 'leave the premises until this situation was sorted'.

So up until that moment, I had not thought that I would find myself sitting on my friend, Izzy's, couch opposite Jace, still wearing my soaking pyjamas and slippers, explaining to her why Jace was such an idiot and that I would not stand staying in a room next door to his, no matter how much she tried to compromise.

Eventually we came up with the conclusion that Jace would share with Alec, her brother and Jace's best friend, and I would get the room I was promised. The glare I got from Jace was almost enough to forget the whole ordeal, but not quite. Because not only had I lost my apartment to this moron, but he had also jeopardised my chance to ever set food back in Java Lava Coffee & Cream Coffee Stop that sells the best coffee in the entirety of London in fear of utter embarrassment and humiliation! God, living with him wasn't half as easy I thought it would be at first.

**I have the next chapter of this already written, so if I get enough reviews telling me to continue, I will, so, review, follow, favourite?**

**Bye for now x**


	2. Chapter 2

**Here's chapter 2, I'm not good at naming chapters, and so unless I think of a really good one, these chapters won't have titles.**

**KyKat: No, Jace isn't a Lightwood in this, only a family friend, but all will be revealed soon…**

**iLoveMeSomeCaptianAmerica: Yes, there definitely will be some clace angst to come ;)**

_**Clary**_

"His manners are awful, he leave his clothes everywhere - I found his boxers in the sink for God's sake - there's a new girl every morning and, worst of all, he can't cook. What good is having a bad - mannered guy live with you if they can't cook?" I complain into the phone to Simon as I walk through campus, the phone wedged between my shoulder and ear as I fumble in my backpack for the right book. "I mean, if he could cook at least he would have something going for him."

"He does have his looks though, I bet they count for something," Simon says through my phone.

"What?" I ask. "Since when did you pay attention to how guys look?" I finally manage to locate my geometry book and pull it out, zipping my backpack back up and taking hold of the phone properly.

"I'm just saying, I've seen worse looking guys. Anyway, turn around."

I peer over my shoulder to see Simon heading over to me, walking on the grass ignoring the sign telling him not to, holding two white cups. As he gets closer the smell of the coffee becomes recognisable and all my senses prick up. "Is that what I think it is?" I ask as he comes to a stop in front of me. "The best coffee in the entirety of London bought from the one and only Java Lava Coffee & Cream Coffee Stop? Please say it is."

"It is." He hands me a cup and it takes all my will power not to snatch it from him. Ever since the bathtub incident that was not my fault Simon has been my main sully of coffee seeing as Jace has made sure I won't be going back. He brings one every day before our first class, and on days off he comes round with it. It's become a thing, he must do it otherwise I go into a stage of withdrawal. He forgot to come round last Friday seeing as he was at some geek convention in Blackpool that I was rudely not invited to and I couldn't function right all day, my mind went foggy, and really I don't remember much of that day, except that without my daily dose of the best coffee in the entirety of London I go a little bit funny. Ever since then he hasn't missed a day.

"If he annoys you that much why don't you just take me up on my offer to live with me?" He asks, continuing our conversation from earlier as we walk towards my class.

"Simon, you know I love you, but I would not be able to handle living with two boys, not that you and Jordan aren't nice, it's just I can barely handle one." I take a large sip of my coffee, welcoming the hotness and bitterns that comes along with it.

Simon makes a noise from his throat and downs the rest of his coffee before putting it in the bin. "Well, I'll see you later."

"Bye," I say to him. "Tell Jordan I said hi."

I see his head nod as he walks off towards his class, and I turn off to head to mine, sipping my coffee until it's gone.

.o.O.o.

Walking through the door of my now home I dump my bag in the corner and walk into the kitchen. On my way I step on a pair of black boxers and almost scream at the fact that they aren't clean, nothing of Jace's ever is, and almost fall through the kitchen door.

As I regain myself and them around, about to get myself a tub of ice cream, I see a girl, sporting dyed blonde hair and large, blue eyes, standing at the fridge, naked apart from an over large shirt covering her.

"Who the fuck is this one?" I moved around her, seeing Jace sitting at the kitchen table.

Jace shoot me a glare, "what do you mean which one? This one is called... called... Sadie!"

The girl interrupted, tome biting. "It's Sally."

"That's what I said."

I sigh, "see, you can't even remember her name. The one before the last one was called Sadie. Use that brain of yours." I tap the side of my head and all but shove the girl out of the way. She huffs but I take no notice of her as I grab the tub of Ben & Jerries' ice cream...empty. I throw the tub back in the freezer; someone else can deal with the disappointment.

"Has anyone ever told you look like Strawberry Shortcake?"

"Yes, many times actually. So no points for originality on that one." I counter before I walk out of the kitchen. "And please, for the love of god, pick up your underwear!" I yell over my shoulder.

"You pick it up!" I hear him yell back like a child as I disappear into my room.

My room at Izzy's is much nicer that my old apartment. The bed is comfier, the wardrobe is twice as big, the carpet doesn't have miscellaneous stains on it, and the view is much more pleasant. I switch on my speakers as I move towards my bed, humming along to 'Kiss it All Better' by He Is We as I flop down with a sigh.

This is usually what my afternoons consist of now, waiting around for some random girl to leave so I can get on with my work. I learnt that it is best to stay out of their way the hard way. I had been walking about, minding my own business, when I walked passed Jace's room, and through the open door I saw him and some girl naked in bed together...that's the kind of image that never leaves you.

It takes three repeats of the song until I finally hear the click of the lock indicating that the girl has gone. I walk out of my room and back into the kitchen where Jace is leaning against the counter, only wearing jeans, his hair a tousled mess around his head.

"Did you wipe the countertop this time?" I ask not wanting to relive the last time I found him with a girl in the kitchen. I shudder visibly.

"Didn't need to, but you may want to watch yourself around the table." He smirks at my expression. The _table_?

"Jace, we eat on there."

"I certainly did." His smirk widens as I through a table cloth at him.

"That's discussing," I mutter turning away from him. I walk through the living area, turn on the TV and load up the DVD player. I sink down into the couch as Supernatural season 7 comes up on the screen, and for a moment I feel guilty. Izzy and I started season one when I moved in and it has recently become part of our routine, rather like the coffee thing with Simon, and by watching this I am seriously messing up routine which could destroy everything. Izzy gets very particular about the way she does things, especially when it comes to Supernatural. But as soon as Jensen Ackles' face graces the screen all other feelings are gone, except my feeling for this man. He is the reason I agreed to watching this stupid show, at first I had plain refused to set foot near it, but then Izzy showed me the box cover and I lost it. I became one of those crazed fangirls that I can't stand, constantly thinking about a certain guy every day, whether it was my main thought, or just there, making its self-known every now and then in the back if my mind. Anyhow, if it wasn't for Mr Ackles I would not watch this show, enough said.

I'm not completely aware as to what exactly is going on, all I know is that he looks sexy without a shirt on, but the phone rings and ruins the mood. I wait a few minutes, waiting for the perfect time to pause it until I find it, a 30" full, shirtless, image of Mr Ackles, frozen constantly before me. I sigh contently before remembering about the ringing phone. I reach over the back of the couch and pick up the phone, answering with my best sophisticated phone voice.

"Hello?" I ask into the receiver.

"Hello, this is Westwood Arts Gallery; may I speak with Miss Fray please?"

I almost freeze as I realise who it is. I applied for a job painting abstract art for Westwood last month, never thinking I would get it.

"Speaking."

"Ah, Miss Fray-"

"Please, call me Clary."

"-Clary. We revived your application earlier this month, and we've diced we would love to take you on. You seem like a promising young artist, and you could certainly bring some character to our small gallery. That is, if your still interested?"

I can't help the smile that nearly splits my face in half, and it's all I can to not scream down the receiver and jump up and down on the spot, but I see Jace out of the corner of my eyes and compose myself. "Of course I'm still interested, I would love to come and work for you! Wh-when should I start?"

"You can start next Monday? Come in when you finish class, a specific time doesn't matter, and we will sort you out with a new project. I trust you have all of your supplies? Paints, brushes, canvases?"

"Oh yes, yes of course."

"Okay Clary, we'll see you on Monday, it's good to have you."

"Thank you, bye." I hear the click on the other end of the line and slowly place the phone back down. I turn back around, smiling crazily, and see Izzy standing looking at me expectantly. I nod once and then chaos. Izzy is running across the room, screaming and bouncing up and down with me, congratulating me, and declaring we must celebrate.

"I have champagne!" She reaches into her bag and pulls out a full bottle.

"Why?" Jace asks from across the room, still not fully dressed fully.

"Why not?" Izzy makes to unscrew the bottle but I reach out and stop her.

"Save it for Saturday night, Iz."

She pouts but puts the bottle back in her bag nevertheless.

With all of the new job excitement over, which is still swimming around my veins, Izzy turns to the TV and her happy demeanour vanishes. "What is this?" She asks staring at the TV in horror.

"Jensen Ackles?" I ask, my voice an octave higher than usual.

"You watched it without me? Clary how could you?!" Izzy spins and glares at me, making me feel slightly uneasy.

"I didn't really, I don't even know what is happening, and I'll need to watch it again anyway."

"Yeah, she was really just using it as porn." Jace adds dorm across the room and I agree with him before I can stop myself, causing him to snigger.

"Seriously, Izzy, we can still watch it." When her expression doesn't fade I put my eyes to use, pulling the greatest puppy dog eyes I have ever managed in my life, and she breaks.

"Fine, but no puppy dog eyes next time, it's not fair." With that she turns and walks out of the room down the hall to hers.

"But come on," Jace says when she is out of earshot. "Tell me that is not mild porn." He points at the TV and tilts his head to the side looking at me.

"No, it simply just paused like that. I had nothing to do with it." I cross my arms over my chest.

"I'm sure you didn't, because I didn't see you sitting in front of the TV for three minutes waiting for just the right time to pause it." I narrow my eyes at him as he stands up, and just before he leaves her turns back to me. "Well done with getting the job, Clary." And then he disappears down to his and Alec's room.

**How was it? Do you guys want another chapter? If so, let me know with a review :) I should update within the next two days**


	3. Chapter 3

**I just wanted to say a huge thank you to everyone who followed, added this to their favourites, reviewed, or even took time to read this so far, you guys make me smile, I love you. Maybe we can get it up to 25 reviews? That would be great!**

**Here's chapter three, slightly longer, enjoy.**

_**Clary**_

I don't have classes on Fridays, so when someone is knocking on my door at half eight in the morning, I truly have no idea why.

I groan and shove my pillow over my head, hoping it will make the constant knocking go away, but it doesn't. Instead, the knocking just intensifies to a loud pounding and the yelling of my name. I push myself up off the memory foam mattress, wrap the duvet around my shoulders to protect me from the fact that Izzy refuses to use the heating, and throw open the door.

Jace is standing there, his hair a mess of gold around his head, a grouchy look on his face, and my phone in his hand. "Your dad." He thrusts the small, pink object in my hands and stalks off back towards his room. I guess I'm not the only one annoyed to have been woken up.

"Dad?" I say groggily into the phone seeing as Jace has already answered it.

"Hey Clare, sorry if I woke you up, but your mother and I just heard the news! Well done!"

"What news?" I ask, sitting back on the bed.

"About your new job, we're so proud! Izzy told us yesterday, sorry if you didn't want her to."

"Oh, no I don't mind. In fact, I'm not surprised; this is Izzy we're talking about. I was going to tell you today anyway."

I hear my father take in a breath to start talking but he is cut off by someone shouting in the background, undoubtedly my mother. "Valentine? Is that Clary? Ooh give me the phone!" There is a slight grumble, the static sound of the phone being passed around, and then my mother's excited voice. "Oh baby, we're so happy for you! We must celebrate! Are you doing anything tonight? What about tomorrow? Your father just got some sort of posh wine yesterday, looks very nice."

"Don't you dare touch that wine!" I hear my father shout, his voice sounding distant.

"Well, something else perhaps. Oh, but honey, you really do need to come round, we hardly see you anymore!"

"Okay, okay," I say, lying back on my bed. "You're worse than Izzy. But yes, I will come round. Tomorrow?"

"That's great, feel free to bring Simon, it's been a while since we've seen him too."

"Okay, mum."

"Okay honey, I'll see you tomorrow. Love you."

"You too." I hang up the phone before another conversation topic springs up and place my phone on my bedside table. My mother is worse than Izzy when it comes to arranging things, always gets in over her head and goes over the top; I'm surprised they're not best friends. I stand back up of my bed, ditch the duvet for an oversized hoodie and fluffy socks, and walk out of my room and into the kitchen. Alec is sitting at the table nursing a cup of steaming coffee, the dark circles under his eyes suggesting he didn't get any sleep last night.

"Hey, Alec," I say as I pour myself a cup and sit opposite him. "How's it going? Have fun last night? Where'd you go?" I as remembering Izzy telling me he had gone out with a friend.

"Clary, go easy on the questions, I have a headache," he says taking a sip of his coffee. "But yes, it was fun, but I don't remember much."

I smile. "Ah, it was like that was it?"

Alec grumbles and drops his head down to his coffee. He really isn't the talkative type. I stand up with my coffee, leaving him to his moping, and exit the kitchen to head to the living room. As I walk down the short hallway Jace walks out of his room and smacks into me, spilling my hot coffee over his chest and my hands. I cry out and drop the mug letting it smash on the floor.

"What the hell, Clary?" Jace says as he frantically tries to wipe the burning liquid of his chest.

"You're the one who walked into me! Look what you made me do!" I say pointing to the wooden floor covered in black coffee and pieces of my favourite Sleeping Beauty mug. "That was my favourite mug."

"Izzy is gonna kill us if we don't clean it up soon," Jace says looking down at the mess, and I can't help but agree. "You go get something to clean up the coffee; I'll pick up the mug."

"Okay," I say as I turn around back to the kitchen, surprised Jace was helping. Alec is still in the same position as before, just more of his coffee is gone and it isn't steaming as much. I grab a tea towel from the counter and head back to the hall.

Jace is on his knees, most of the pieces of my mug in one of his hands, the other still attempting to pick up the smaller pieces. I kneel down next to him and begin to soak up all the coffee, hoping that it hasn't stained the floor. "Here." I offer him the towel for him to put the pieces in and begin to pick up the remainder with him.

Eventually, the floor is clean of coffee and shards of mug, and if you weren't me or Jace, you wouldn't be able to tell anything had happened. "Thanks," I say to Jace as we stand side by side admiring our work, "for helping to clean up."

"No problem, Izzy gets scary when she's mad, that would have made her monstrous." He shivers and we both laugh.

"What's so funny?" We hear a voice say from behind us and both turn at the same time. Izzy is standing at her door, looking great considering she just woke up. She walks further to us and peers over my shoulder. "Did you guys…" She asks, pointing to the exact spot where the coffee was. Correction: if you weren't Jace, me or _Izzy_, you wouldn't be able to tell. She looks at us both, a suspicious look on her face. "Never mind." She turns and heads back into her room. Jace and I both let out a breath and turn to face each other.

Jace looks horrified. "How did she-?" He whisper-shouts.

"I have no idea." I shake my head, eyeing her door cautiously. "I'm going to shower."

Jace nods, his eyes still flicking to Izzy's door, and I slowly walk towards the bathroom.

Once the bathroom door is locked and the room is full of steam I get into the shower and let the water hit my body. Once I am used to the burning temperature of the water I begin to wash my hair, the smell of cherry shampoo overpowering and sweet.

I am dry and ready to dress when I realise I didn't bring any clothes in, which wouldn't be a problem any other day seeing as no one would be in, but walking around in just a towel with the chance of bumping into Alec or Jace is not something I would want to do. But with no other choice I wrap the towel around my body, holding it in place with my upper arms, and press my ear against the door, listening for movement outside. I don't hear anything, so I unlock the door and slowly open it, sticking my head out. When I'm sure it's clear I open it fully and step outside, gripping the towel around my chest tightly as I walk towards my room.

I push open the door to my room, grateful that I didn't bump into anyone on the way, and scream when I see Jace by my desk. He whirls around and his eyes look me up and down once, turning me red.

"Get out!" I yell after a few seconds. "Out! Out! Out!"

"Relax, ginger, I'm just getting a pencil." He waves it in the air before walking towards me and the door. "Knock next time."

"Knock? It's my room! Now go away." I push him, one hand on his chest whilst the other holds up my towel, out of the door, ignoring his laughs at my feeble attempts to move him.

"Okay, okay, I'm going, don't expect your pencil back." He pulls the door closed behind him, leaving me and my embarrassment alone.

Once I recover I swiftly get dressed as to avoid another incident like that again, and untangle my hair with my fingers before tying it up with a bobble. I walk over to inspect my desk, see what damage Jace had done with his carelessness, and am surprised to see that not much is out of place, only a few bits of paper moved. Once I am sure nothing else is taken I head out of my room and to the living area.

Izzy is sitting on the couch, her eyes glued to the tv showing some episode of Once Upon A Time, Alec is nowhere to be seen, and Jace is sitting in the armchair in the corner, his laptop open and glowing on his knee. I flop down next to Izzy causing her to jump, and then turn my attention to Jace. "Why did you need a pencil?"

"College work," he says without looking up, typing rapidly.

"But you're on your laptop?"

"Future college work then."

"Then can I have my pencil back?"

"No, I lost it."

"You lost it? After having it for what, five minutes?"

"You have to learn not to lend me things, Clary."

"Lend you things-? You took it!"

Jace doesn't answer, and I lean back against a cushion just as the buzzer goes off.

"Not it." Izzy, Jace and I say in unison, and hear Alec groan from the kitchen followed by the scrape of a chair and heavy footsteps. Alec throws open the door and Simon waltzes in, smiling and greeting everyone in turn.

"Hi, Si," I say, tipping my head back over the sofa to see him. "Is that coffee?"

"Yep." He hands me the cup and squeezes himself between Izzy and I on the couch. "What are we watching?"

Izzy sighs. "You wouldn't like it."

"Is there a reason you here?" Jace asks from the corner, staring at Simon.

"Yes, I brought Clary coffee, which she is unable to do since _you_ got her banned from her favourite coffee shop that sells the best coffee in the entirety of London."

"Well you've done that now. And I doubt it's the best coffee in the entirety of London."

"Excuse me," I say, leaning forward. "You take that back."

"Come on, Clary. There's obviously better coffee _somewhere_ in London." Jace closes his laptop and places it on the table next to him.

"Jace, I wouldn't go there if I were you," Izzy says, finally turning her attention to the conversation happening around her. "You know how Clary gets about her coffee."

"No, Iz, _let_ him go there. Now, Jace," I lean forwards even more, "have you tasted their coffee?"

He shakes his head.

"Well then how do you know?!" I throw my hands up in the air, after putting my coffee down, and lean back into the sofa. Jace doesn't bother replying, probably giving up realizing he won't get anywhere in changing my opinion. "Oh, and Simon? You and I are going to mum and dads tomorrow for lunch."

"Okay, what time?"

"Just meet me at the bus stop at twelve."

"Okay."

There is silence for a minute, the only sound Alec's grumbling and the slamming of his door. He really must have had it bad last night.

"We're going out tonight, remember," Izzy says finally. "Simon, Jace, you in?"

"Sure why not? Where we going?" Jace says.

"The club in town, Pandemonium."

"I can't," Simon says with a sigh. "I'm banned from there." There is a chorus of 'what the hell's and 'what did you do's?' "Remember when we were sixteen?" He asks, looking at me. "And we thought it would be fun to try and sneak in around the back, but then the bouncer saw us, and he let you go for some reason, but then he took my fake I.D and banned me."

Jace bursts out laughing. "What the hell? That is the most hilarious thing I have ever heard!"

"Shut up," Simon mutters, folding his arms over his chest. "What I don't understand is why they let Clary go. I mean, no offence, but you barely look sixteen now, and this is three years later."

"Because I didn't trip climbing over the gate so I got away," I say chuckling. "And anyway, I bet they have forgotten by now."

"I don't know, that bouncer looked pretty serious. And Rebecca gets back from university today anyway so my mum will probably drag us out for a meal tonight. Speaking of, I better get going." Simon stands up, stretches his arms, and heads towards the door,

"Bye!" I yell after him as the door closes.

"I don't understand how you like him, he's such a dork," Jace says, staring at me like I have some sort of unnatural capability or something.

"I don't know," Izzy says, looking at the door. "I think he's kind of cute."

My mouth drops as I gape at Izzy, and from the corner of my eye I see Jace doing the same_. Isabelle Lightwood_ calling _Simon Lewis_ cute? I never thought I'd see the day. Ever since I introduced Simon to Izzy he was instantly struck, and whenever we were alone he wouldn't shut up about her. I tried on countless occasions to get him to talk to her, and one time on my birthday last year he almost did...before he almost wet himself and ran away before she could even turn around. I didn't let him live it down for at least a month.

"You think _that_ is cute! Come on Izzy, I know you have low standards, but that's on a completely new level," Jace says after he recovers from the initial shock of it.

Izzy scowls at him and throws a cushion at him, which he catches with ease, before she mumbles a "shut up."

"_'That'_ is one of my best friends," I say glaring at him.

"Yes, and I would expect that from you."

He gets another cushion thrown at him, which he fails to catch and hits him in the face. I grin at him as he scowls. "That's what I thought," I say standing up heading to the kitchen.

Alec's mug has gone, as has the rest of the coffee, so I settle with a pack of Oreos and a can of coke before heading to my room. Once there I open my wardrobe and pull out the half-painted canvass from the back, knowing that if I left it out Jace would most likely run into it or ruin it.

I had been working on this one for a few weeks now, and I still hadn't managed to add colour, or any fine detail. So far, I had added the skyline of a city, New York, by the looks of it, and in front of that was a couple, small enough to not be able to define any features, holding hands as the stars shone above them and the city.

I don't know where my inspiration came from; I just got in one night after being out with Simon and began to paint.

Initially, I had reserved this canvas for my art class that I was sure to get a project for in a month or so, but those plans went straight out of the window that night. Ah well, I have plenty more canvases.

I carefully lift the canvas onto the easel in the corner of my room and head over to my rest to grab a pencil, but come to no avail when I can't find one. Because Jace took it. And if my mother were here right now I'm sure she would say something along the lines of "a real artist always has spare everything." Sighing, I head back out of my room and to my bag in the corner.

After fishing around for five minutes trying to find my pencil case, I hear footsteps from behind me and then a voice. "What are you doing?"

I turn around and see Jace, finally fully dressed, looking down at me, slightly amused.

"Looking for a pencil," I say standing up.

"Oh, here." Jace reaches behind him into his jeans pocket and comes out with a pencil, offering it to me.

"I thought you said you lost it?" I ask taking the pencil from his hand.

"Oh I did, this one I took a few days back."

"Jace!"

"Clary!" He mimics my tone.

I huff to myself and walk back to my room, ignoring Jace's laughing, and slam my door shut, taking a calming breath, before walking back to my easel.

.o.O.o.

Three hours later I still haven't added any colour and my arm hurts from holding the pencil too tightly. I barely managed to put the canvas away before waltzed into my room, spewing something about how we have to start getting ready for tonight if she's going to make me pretty enough to get a guy. Charming.

I gave up protesting after she dragged me down the hallway to her room by the front of my shirt, Jace seemingly confused and scared as Izzy barged passed him, possibly mirroring my expression.

I am now sitting in front of Izzy's vanity table whilst she roots around him her wardrobe looking for something that will fit me, seeing as none of my clothes are 'suitable', meaning they actually do what clothes do and cover my skin.

Five outfits and many vulgar curses later I am in what Izzy would call a dress, but is actually more like a shirt with sparkles, along with my black Converse that I persuaded her to let me wear if she wants me to live, and is now working on my makeup.

I don't realise how much time has passed when Izzy finally pulls away, eye liner and all, and stares down at what she calls a master piece on my face. Stepping aside, I see myself in the mirror, and I must say, she didn't do a bad job. Dark, smoky eye shadow covers my eyes, making the green in them stand out, even if I did have my eye pocked about ten times with the eye pencil. My lips are blood red against my pale face, and my hair - straight now - is pinned on top of my head, a few pieces framing around my face.

I tear my gaze away to look at Izzy, who is grinding like a loon, her makeup and hair already done.

"You like?" She asks.

I nod, and she pulls my out of her room, telling me it's time to go, and into the hallway.

Jace is waiting there, wearing a white shirt and black jeans, leaning against the wall. He look up then he hears upcoming and I can't help but notice how his eyes linger on me, before a smirk tugs at his lips and one eyebrow raises.

"Took you long enough," he says opening the door and walking out, not holding it open.

Izzy grumbles and follows him, I walk behind her. "Tell me again why he's coming?" I ask her under my breath as we walk down the stairs to the lobby.

"Because I don't trust him on his own," Izzy says and we laugh.

Jace reappears from outside. "I got a cab, the meters running, hurry up."

Izzy and I follow him outside and he opens the back door to a black taxi. I look at him a second before I climb in, and smile to myself as he gets in after me, wedging himself between me and Izzy.

"Where to?" The driver asks looking at us in his rear view mirror.

"Pandemonium," Jace says before leaning back, his hands on his knees as the taxi lurches forward.

We sit in awkward silence, Izzy not so much as she hums to herself, but Jace and I defiantly. We have never been in such close proximity to each other, save for the time I shoved in out of the way in the hall, but we have never just sat next to each other, and to make it worse, he voluntarily got in after me.

I shuffle in my seat, turning to get a better view of London as we drive past it, the lights of the building standing out against the darkening sky. As I turn I feel my elbow whack into something hard, and I hope to god that is was the chair, but I turn my head anyway to see Jace glaring at me. So I glare back. And he doesn't stop glaring. So I don't stop.

We are stopped by the taxi coming to a halt and the driver demanding his money, which Jace hands over before he gets out, and I follow them both into the club, the blaring music already audible through the closed doors.

**Leave a review telling me what you thought, I love hearing what you have to say xx**


	4. Chapter 4

**So school started again today and they don't even ease us into it before launching end of year exams on us, and its only April! So please understand if I don't update much, but I will try . On the bright side my mother is taking me to watch Divergent again in a few hours!**

**Here's chapter 4, enjoy x**

_**Clary**_

The club is much louder inside, and the first thing Izzy does is drag me over to the bar, Jace trailing behind us. She finds an empty spot at the bar and pushes us all into it, grinning at the bar tender. "Clary, what you having?" She asks above the pounding music.

"Err...whatever you having!"

"Jace?" She asks.

"Budweiser."

Izzy nods, tells the bar tender our order and begins to point out random, though attractive, guys to me, asking things like "what about that one?" Or "he's cute!" To which I would respond "I guess" or "why don't you talk to him?"

As soon as the bartender comes back with our drinks, Jace takes his and walks off, I guess he spotted one of his friends, and I take a sip of mine before asking what it was.

"Come one." Izzy grabs my wrist, pulling me onto the dance floor, and I can't help but laugh at her dancing, making me join in, and soon we are both dancing crazily, laughing as we drink our drinks and bump into people.

Half an hour and three more drinks later, my world is spinning, as is Izzy. Literally. She is spinning around in a circle, her arms wide as her drink spills over the sides. I burst into a fit of giggles as she stumbles and comes to a stop, laughing along with me. I don't know what Izzy has got me drinking, but it tastes good, and must have a fair amount of alcohol in it too. We lost Jace a long time ago, but all I can hope is that he is having as much fun as we are.

"Izzy!" I shout. "What is this?" I lift up my cup taking a drink.

"I don't remember! But I want another."

I watch as she wobbles over to the bar and orders another drink. I notice the bartender touching her hand as she hands over the money and I give her a thumbs up when she looks back at me.

I continue dancing, although it's not as fun on my own, and go to find Jace.

"Jace?" I call as a weave between dancing people, narrowly missing elbows and giggling when I don't. "Ja-ace!"

I suddenly feel a hand on my arm and spin around to see Jace looking down at me. "Clary?" He asks. "Where's Izzy?"

"Oh, she's talking to the bar tender. Come and dance with me." I take his hand and tug him towards the centre if the club but he hardly moves, causing me to pout.

"Clary, how much have you had to drink?" He asks, smiling at me.

"I'm not drunk," I say, frowning.

"Just tell me," he says, still smiling.

"Only, like, four. Now come and dance!"

Jace shakes his head and grabs my hand. "Okay then."

I let him pull me to the crowded floor and I begin to sway in time with the music, taking sips of my drink. "Where did you go?" I ask him, remembering that he wasn't here for half of the time.

"I ran into Sebastian, I'm sorry I left without saying something."

"Don't worry," I say over the music. "I didn't really notice anyway."

Jace lets out a laugh. "How nice."

Just then, Izzy reappears, a goofy grin on her face and two drinks in her hands. "Hi Clary!" She yells, handing me a drink. "I got you another!"

"Thanks!" I yell back, starting on my new drink.

Only then it seems she notices Jace. "Oh, I didn't get you one!"

"It's fine, one of us has to be responsible for getting you two home. I guess it's me."

I burst out giggling as someone knocks into me and I spill half in my drink down the front of my dress, and Izzy joins in. Soon, we are both giggling uncontrollably, and the only sane one is Jace.

I feel his hand on my shoulder and look up at him. "Come one," he says, taking hold of Izzy's elbow gently.

"Where are we going?" Izzy asks, downing the rest of her drink and placing the cup on the side. I do the same.

"Home," Jace says as he pushes the door open and leads us out. I watch as he waves over a taxi and opens the door for us. Izzy climbs in first, I follow, and Jace gets in last, closing the door behind him and telling the driver our address, but I don't hear him properly, because I feel my eyes growing heavy, and I fall asleep, my head against Jace's shoulder.

.o.O.o.

I wake up but don't open my eyes, already feeling the pounding of my head as the light turns the insides of my eyelids red. I don't remember much of last night, but what I do remember is Jace. I had said things to Jace and I don't remember what they are.

I hear a mumble from next to me and my eyes fly open, hoping to god I am not in someone else's bed. But what I see is much worse. Luckily I am not in a bed, but on the couch in the living room, and below me on the floor is Jace, sprawled out using his arm as a pillow. I can tell he's awake, just with his eyes closed.

I sit up slowly, and almost fall back down due to the pounding in my head. I groan asI lie back down, draping my arm over my eyes. No wonder Alec was like he was yesterday if that's what his night was like.

"Clary?" I hear Jace ask from below me. "Are you awake?"

"Mhmm," I mumble past my headache.

"Then go away, I need the couch."

"No, get your own couch," I grumble, rolling over so my head is buried in the fusions against the back of the couch.

"You had the couch all night, and you're supposed to be meaning Simon in half an hour anyway."

"What? Shit." I carefully stand up from the couch, ignoring my protesting head, and stumble into the bathroom, avoiding the mirror, and fill the sink up with water, not bothering to shower. When the sink is full of cold water, I take a deep breath and dunk my head under to wake me up.

It works, but not enough to subside the pain in my head, but some aspirin will take care of that. Massaging my temples, I head out of the bathroom, a few strands of my hair wet and dripping onto the floor.

When I reach my room I check the clock, and sure enough it's nearly twelve o'clock. Grumbling to myself I step out of Izzy's dress, leaving it in a crumpled mess on the floor, and pull a pair of leggings and a hoodie out of my wardrobe.

Once I am dressed I sit in front if my vanity table, and cringe at the mess of makeup and hair. I scrub of the panda eyes and wrench a brush through my curls and tie it in a bun, reapply minimal makeup, pull on my converse and head out of the apartment, five munities to spare.

As i approach the bus stop I see Simon leaning against a street light and quicken my pace. "Hi," I say when I near him.

"Hello." He pushes off from the pole and turns to face me. "So I take it you went out last night, then?"

"What makes you say that?"

Simon waves a hand in my general direction. "All...this. It's clear you were in a rush this morning. What did you even do last night?"

I shake my head and sigh. "I don't know, but I woke up on the couch, so that's a plus point."

Simon laughs and shakes his head as the bus pulls up and the doors open.

"Could you, uh, maybe lend me bus fair, Si?" I ask as we enter the bus.

"Sure, it's on me." He hands the driver the money and we both go to take our seats. The bus is vaguely empty, save for a fifteen-year-old sitting at the back with his headphones in. Simon and I sit in the middle of the bus, and as it lurches forward my head throbs. Great, now I'm going to have to up yup with my mother's intolerable chatting for god knows how long with a hangover.

We get off a few stops later, luckily just outside my parents' house, and we walk up the steps together. I don't even have to ring the doorbell before the door is thrown open and my mother's arms are around me, pulling my to her with supernatural strength as she expresses how much she has missed me since the last time I came round (last week).

She pulls me into the house, Simon following, and doesn't let me go until my father approaches and pries her arms off me. Don't get me wrong, I love my mother, it's just, she can be a bit overbearing at times. "Hi Mum, hi Dad," I say smiling at them.

"Hi Mr and Mrs Morgenstern," Simon greets, waving from his position in the doorway. I took my mother's maiden name - Fray - although both my parents are Morgenstern's.

"Simon." My father nods once at Simon, he isn't one for gushing over things.

My mother on the other hand, is completely different. She throws her arms around Simon, startling him, and begins telling him how it's "been too long".

I hear my father sigh and I look up at him, our expressions the same. He motions for me to follow him through to the living room, and we leave my mother to finish her ordeal.

There is a bowl of chocolates on the glass coffee table in the centre of the room, and I take a seat on the white couch opposite it, my father sitting on the other. "So, how are you?" He asks, placing his ankle on his knee, the way men do, and before I can answer Simon walks in.

"Naughty Clarissa has a terrible hangover, hasn't she?" He says as he sits himself down next to me, but not before grabbing a handful of chocolate. I catch his grin at me and have to restrain myself from thwacking him around the head for mentioning that in front of my father.

"Is that true? Clary, what have I said about drinking-?" My father starts but is cut if my mother, who sits next to him.

"Oh, leave her alone, Valentine. She's just got a job, she's allowed to celebrate." My mother smiles at me.

"Yes, but not to the point where she can't comprehend a decent sentence. Honestly, Clarissa, how do you expect me to support you in living with your friends when this is how you abuse that privilege? If it were up to me I'd have you moving straight back in here with your mother and I, no more if this living on your own college business."

"Dad," I say, "I'm fine. I'm nineteen; I'm perfectly capable of handling a few drinks."

He sighs. "Fine, but this is the last time I want to hear about anything like this."

"Okay." I nod, and make a mental note to hurt Simon later for that. Well, this is turning into a lovely visit.

There is a moment of silence, my mother glaring at my father, most likely for his outburst, my father eyeing the newspaper on the table, me staring down at my hand, and Simon sitting awkwardly straight and tapping his foot at an offbeat rhythm on the wooden floor.

Eventually my mother speaks up. "Well, I think dinners ready. I made your favourite, Clary, my special lasagne." She stands up and we all slowly follow.

"That sounds nice," I sat with a slight smile, and we all file into the mahogany dining room, about to endure a painfully awkward lunch.

.o.O.o.

Two hours later I walk through the door to my apartment after finally getting out of my mother's embrace and drop my keys in the glass bowl next to the door. I notice that nor Izzy's, Alec's or Jace's keys are in the bowl and that the apartment is extremely quiet.

I head down the hallway to my room, but halfway there I hear a clattering coming from the kitchen, sounding like something had been shoved of a counter top. I pause in my tracks, wondering who it could be, and grab the vase off the table next to me, slowly walking into the kitchen.

I peer around the doorway and see the back of a man's head, covered in very dark brown hair, and slightly glittery, opening draws and cupboards, and do not hesitate to smash the vase over his back, screaming.

The man whirls around, an extremely confused and slightly pained look in his cat-like eyes, as he takes me in.

"Who the hell are you?" I ask, my voice slightly raised.

He opens his mouth to answer when another voice speaks up, this one sounding familiar, and I look back to the doorway and see Alec standing there, staring at us both. "Clary? Why-why are you back so early?"

"I'm not. Why is there a strange man in our kitchen?"

"I'm Magnus," the man says, offering me his hand. "Alexander's boyfriend. You must be Clary."

"Alexander? Who's Alex- oh, Alec." I turn to face Alec, whose face is bright red. "You never told me you had a boyfriend, Alec."

"Well, I - Err...I-" he starts, his eyes dropping to the floor as he struggles for the right words.

"Alec, it's okay. Just tell me next time, I could have killed him."

Magnus coughs and we both look at him. "I don't think you could have killed me, it was a vase."

"Anyway, why aren't your keys in the bowl?" I ask Alec, who seems to have recovered over the shock of it all.

"Oh, I err, left them at Magnus's two nights ago. He was dropping them off today."

I nod my head slowly and smile, finally realising where Alec had been. "Well, I'll leave you two to it. I'll...be in my room," I say, pointing to the door and slowly heading out, not talking my eyes off the two until I round the corner. I wonder if Izzy and Jace know about Magnus, or if they don't, I certainly wasn't supposed to. Deciding to ask him, I poke my head back around the door, but juts before I start to speak I see that Magnus has Alec pressed against the counter, their lips on each other's. So once again, I back out of the kitchen, not making a sound until I reach my room.

**This isn't exactly how I wanted this chapter to go, and to be honest, it's not one of my best. But, on the plus side, I was up all night last night and came up with the best, most mind-fucking plot twist that I am still trying to get my head around. I'm not sure if you'll like it or not, but it's happening. If any of you have any ideas as to what it could be, feel free to mention it in a review and I'll PM you if you're right ;)**


	5. Chapter 5

**Sorry I haven't updated in a few days, but schools been busy. I should be revising for exams next week but no, I'm writing fanfiction, watching Frozen, and eating whilst my revision books lay on the floor, gathering dust. I guess we know where my priority's lie. **

_**Clary**_

Okay, so maybe spilling paint all over the floor, knocking over three boxes, smacking heads with my boss, and insulting a customer wasn't the best way for my first day of my job to go. But at least I made an impression.

As soon as I set foot into the gallery I was to work in disaster struck. Turns out that balancing three open boxes full of paint on top of each other in the middle of hallway isn't a good idea, because soon after there was multi-coloured paint covering the floor and bottom of the walls.

My boss, Mr Wray, a tall, toned man in his mid-twenties, with a head full of copper hair and blue eyes, who insisted on me calling him Daniel, just brushed it off, saying everyone makes mistakes, and just to try not to do it again.

And believe me, I tried.

But soon after I had been assigned my first job, to paint a landscape for the bookstore down the road, it happened again. This time, however, I didn't spill paint all over the floor, what I did do was much worse. I had been filling a pallet with paints and when I turned around Daniel, whom by this time I had become quite aware of his good looks, and I whacked heads, my forehead against the top of his, and managed to throw green paint all over my jeans.

And later, to top it all off, I told a customer his shirt was stupid when he questioned my jeans, causing him to swiftly exit the gallery without buying anything.

Surprisingly, after all of that, I didn't get fired. Although I was in a bad mood when I finished for the day.

.o.O.o.

"So, how did the job go?" Izzy asks as soon as I walk through the front door. "Any guys work there, any of them cute?"

"Don't wanna talk about it," I mumble as I walk past her into the kitchen, my sights set on the Oreos I see poking out of the cupboard.

"That bad?" Izzy asks from behind me, leaning on the doorframe.

"You don't know the half of it," I say ripping open the packet and stuffing two in my mouth. "But on the bright side, my boss is rather attractive."

"Ooh!" Izzy exclaims, her eyes brightening. "What's he called?" She asks, flowing me back through into the living room.

"Daniel," I answer, twisting the two halls of the Oreo apart before eating them, not bothering to lick or dunk them. "And I may have given him a mild concussion."

I see Izzy's eyebrows furrow together as she sits next to me, reaching for the Oreo packed.

I smack her hand away. "We bumped heads. Well, actually, I whacked my head against his unsuspecting one."

"Ah, unfortunate."

I nod. "So," I say, turning my full attention back to Izzy. "Where is everyone?"

"Alec is at a friend's house, and Jace is wherever it is Jace goes, even on Mondays."

I roll my eyes. Only Jace would go out on a Monday night, and no doubt when I wake up tomorrow morning there will be another girl standing in the kitchen, drinking my coffee. I mentally shake my head. Who would want to get with Jace, with his arrogant big head, his cocky attitude, his sexy smirk-

Wait what? Jace's smirk was not sexy, it was the exact opposite, but it wasn't exactly ugly. In fact, now I think about it, it did make him look nice.

"So," Izzy says, and I'm glad for her interruption, if I was left alone for much longer I don't know what sort of thoughts I would muster up. "Want to watch some Supernatural?" She grins as she switches the TV on.

"Anyway, I thought you said you liked Simon?" I ask returning to the previous conversation, remembering when she called Simon cute.

"I never said that!" She exclaims, abandoning the task as hand and pressing her hand over my mouth, even though there is only us two in the apartment. "I just said, I thought he was cute," she continues with her voice slightly less hysteric, and lowers her hand. "And besides, I'd never have a chance with him."

I feel my eyes widen. Isabelle Lightwood, doubting her chances of getting a boy? Well, I never. "Izzy, what are you taking about? I'm sure if you told him how you feel-"

"No!" I shout, her hand covering my mouth again, and I resist the urge to bite her. "I can't do that! What if he doesn't like me back, and I completely jeopardise my chances with him? Then what, hmm?"

"Iz," I attempt, but my voice is muffled by her hand, her perfectly manicured and painted fingernails digging into my cheek lightly. 'Iz," I begging again once I pull her hand from my mouth. "Look, I've known Simon for years and I can tell you one thing: he obviously likes you. But this is Simon we're talking about; he isn't likely to make the first move. I mean, he's probably having this exact conversation with Jordan right now. If you want to get somewhere, you have to be the first to move."

Izzy is silent for a second, staring at me with her dark eyes, but not seeing. I am about to snap my finger in front of her face when she speaks. "You really think so?" She asks her voice quiet.

I nod, glad that it has finally hit Izzy. "Look, it's his birthday next Friday, and Eric is throwing him a surprise party in his garage. I'm going, and so are you, and I want you to tell him how you feel about him then, can you do that?"

Izzy seems taken aback my directness but manages a small nod, and when she regains confidence her nods become bigger, more confident. "Of course I can, I'm Isabelle Lightwood for crying out loud!"

I grin, imagining the look on Simon's face when Izzy tells him, glad that my two best friends will end up together, hopefully.

But my happiness is short-lived when Izzy begins to speak again. "So, what about you and Jace?" She asks, twisting her body to face me, so her legs are up on the couch, T.V forgotten by both of us.

I blanch and lean back from her, as if recoiling from a snake. "What about me and Jace?"

Izzy smirks. "Come on, there's obviously something going on between you two. I mean, you can practically feel it when you walk into a room with you both. And I may have been slightly drunk the other night, but I remember when we got back home. He carried you back in here, you know, when you fell asleep, and put you on the couch. "

"Yeah, well," I start but can't think of a way to finish. I wondered how I woke up on the couch, but it never occurred to me that someone must have carried me in, especially that person being Jace. My memories from that night are foggy, but I'm sure I would remember if Jace carried me in...But then again, I was asleep. "Well, that doesn't mean I like him. In fact, I can't stand him, he's so annoying, he always takes my stuff, and he always leaves his underwear on the floor!"

"Sounds to me like someone's in denial," Izzy says in a singsong voice, her lips quirking up at the side.

"I am not in denial!" I say, slamming a cushion in her stomach. "I do not like Jace!"

The door bangs open and a new voice speaks, turning my face white. "Who doesn't like me?" Jace says, striding into the living room, his white shirt untucked from his black jeans, and his hair a tousled mess around his face.

"No one likes you!" I shout, standing up and storming out of the room, not wanting to stick around to hear what Izzy has to say.

"What's up with her?" I hear Jace ask, before I slam my door, cutting off Izzy's response, leaning against it breathing heavily.

**I have the next chapter of this ready, so I should update tomorrow or Sunday. But do I sense some Clace forming? Ooh I'm getting all giddy. Building relationships is so **_**boring**_**! I just want to make them kiss! Bring on the fluff! Tell me if you want me to speed up their relationship, or if I'm going at an alright pace, because imp really not sure.**

**Leave a review? xx**


	6. Chapter 6

**Haha, my mum thinks I'm revising! Here's chapter six, enjoy.**

_**Clary**_

Carrying a canvas the size of my body in one hand and my heavy bag full of text books slung over my opposite shoulder through my half opens apartment door, all the while balancing a large cup of coffee, was not as easy as I thought it would be.

Daniel let me take the canvas home to finish, claiming that I would probably work better in my own environment rather that a busy gallery, rather that coming into work today, as long as I have it finished by Saturday. He offered me a lift home, but I declined seeing as I was meeting Simon to get my coffee, and I didn't want to seem an inconvenience.

I can't imagine what I looked like walking the five blocks back home carrying this thing, I'm just glad that is wasn't raining.

As I push through the door, the canvas at an odd angle as to not what it on the door fame, I see Jace appear out of the living room, his eyes slowly taking in everything before him. "Need some help there?" He asks.

"No." I snap, still juggling everything and slamming the door closed with my foot.

"Okay." He smirks, leaning back on the doorframe, one foot against the wall.

I glare at him as I continue to make my way into the hall when I feel my foot catch on something, and I feel myself flying towards the ground.

But before I hit it I feel hands around my waist pulling me back upright. I turn around to see Jace looking down at me, one eyebrow raised. "Here," he says, letting go of me and taking the canvas out of my hand. "Where do you want this?"

I sigh, not realising how heavy it was until it was gone. Tugging by bag strap back onto my shoulder and switching my coffee to my other hand, I point towards my room. "In my room please."

I follow him down the hallway and into my room, which is still a mess. "Just, err, could you put it down there?" I say pointing to the open floor near my dresser, realising that my easel is too small for my painting.

"What is this anyway?" Jace asks, turning back to face me. I place my bag down my the side of my bed and take a sip of my coffee before answering.

"Work. It's for the bookshop in town."

Jace nods, looking back at the canvas. "So what's it going to be?"

In answer I dig around in my bag and pull out a photo of a green field, blue sky, snow-topped mountains far off in the background. I had it to him. "It's obviously not done yet, but I'm going to work on it in the next few days and it should be done by Friday."

Jace takes the photo and studies it carefully before handing it back. "Nice re handing it back, smiling, not smirking for once. "Very nice." He nods appreciatively before walking back over to my open door, but before he exits I stop him.

"Thanks, Jace," I say before he can leave the room, giving him a small smile.

"Don't get used to it," he says after a moment.

"Hey." I stop him before he can leave again. He turns back, eyebrows raised. "What did Izzy say yesterday?" I ask, my voice sounding nervous.

Jace smirks, looking down his feet. He takes a deep breath before he answers, his eyes flicking back up to me. "Let's just say I don't think you want to know. Later, Fray." He winks before he leaves, shutting the door behind him.

I sigh, sitting back on my bed and looking at the canvas, shaking my head at Jace. He could change so easily, yet no one seemed to notice when he did, and then within the blink of an eye, his arrogance would be back like a slap to the face.

Why I was taking any notice in this, I did not know.

I pull my hands down my face, telling myself to forget about what Izzy possibly did or didn't say, and focus on the painting, not bothering to wait for an easel.

.o.O.o.

I have just managed to mix the right shade of green for the grass when the most ridiculous sound I have ever heard resonates throughout the rooms -a scream, Jace's scream. I shoot up from where I had been crouching on the floor and listen again.

"Oh my GOD!" I hear him yell, coming from the bathroom. "Fucking hell! Clary!"

My eyebrows furrow when I hear my name being yelled and I step out in the hallway and come face to face with Jace, his chest bear and underwear visible above his jeans.

"What the hell?" I ask, taking a step to the side to look at him better. "Was that you screaming?"

Jace gulps. "Never mind that, come with me." He takes hold of my wrist and begins to pull me to the bathroom.

"This better be important, Jace. I just got the right shade of-"

"Shut the fuck up and go in there." I don't have time to be offended by his word choice before I am shoved into the bathroom, looking over my shoulder at Jace in confusion.

"Jace, what-?"

"Look in the bath." His voice cracks as he says 'bath', and his tone makes me weary as I slowly turn my head back to the bath-

And see the hugest, goddamned spider I have seen in my entire existence. It's body the size of my palm, and it's legs twice the size of that, sitting on top of the plug hole, it's many beady eyes staring directly at me. A scream escapes my lips and I run out of the bathroom, grabbing Jace's arm and tugging him along with me.

"There's a fucking Aragog in our bath!" I yell, not stopping running until we are in the kitchen.

"I don't know what that is but if you mean a spider then I KNOW!" Jace yells right back, grabbing onto my arm and pulling me to him. "Clary, what do we do?"

"I don't know, you're the guy," I say turning to face him, grabbing his arms. "Be a man!" I say shaking him.

"What's that supposed to mean?" He asks, his voice wavering as if it were the most terrifying thing ever, which it probably is.

"It means that you're a man, and it's the man's job to get rid of spiders, so go and get rid." I attempt to push him towards the door, but he uses his strength against me and refuses to move.

"No way, get Alec to do it."

"Alec's not here, Jace. Here," I say reaching behind me and grabbing a glass before shoving it in his chest. "Use this to trap it in."

"Use that? It won't fit in there! We'll need a bucket for that thing!"

"We? What do you mean, 'we'?"

Jace looks down at me, panic evident on his face. "You don't think I'm going in there alone, do you? You're coming with me. That thing needs at least two people to take it down."

I swallow, and look in the general direction of the bathroom, taking no notice to the wall blocking my way. "Do you think - Do you think it can hear us?"

Jace's head slowly turns, his gaze following mine. "I don't know. But I bet you it's plotting something."

"Hey, I could call Simon? He's great at getting rid of spiders," I say, remembering the countless times I had called Simon up from an early age asking him to come and get the spider out of my room, seeing as my father would tell me to pull it together and get rid of it myself, and that my mother would probably be hiding from it with me.

At this Jace's head snaps back to me, determination in his eyes. "No way, I will not be shown up by that...that dork!" With that Jace marches out of the kitchen, and I follow him to the bathroom, stopping at the doorframe where as he matches straight in, to then only come straight back out to pull me in with him.

We both stand, frozen, by the sink, staring down at the spider I have now names Aragog, due to the startling resemblance, waiting for the other to make the first move.

After a few seconds of staring, I shove Jace stumbling forward. I watch as he reaches his hand tentatively out, ever so slowly to Aragog, and just as his hand is an inch away Aragog scuttles forwards, sending Jace crashing back to me, the both of us screeching at the top of our lungs, clinging onto each other for dear life.

I become all too aware of Jace's arms around my small frame, one of his hands on my waist, the other pressing on my upper back, and my hands on him, feeling the firm muscle under his bare skin. I look up at him, and our eyes meet for a second, gold against green, and we both pull away at the same time, my face no doubt the colour of my hair.

If Jace notices my embarrassment and discomfort he doesn't mention it. Instead, his gaze snaps back to Aragog, and mine follows to see it staring back at us, it's eight legs stretching out, almost tripling it I'm size.

"Can't we just, I don't know, turn the shower head on it?" Jace asks, eyeing the shower head.

"Jace, look at that thing! It will never fit down the plug hole."

Jace doesn't reply.

"Look, screw this, I'm calling Simon," I say and walk out of the bathroom, aware of Jace following me.

"No way! Wait here," he says as I watch him stalk off into his room, to re-emerge with a baseball bat in his hands, lightly hitting it in his hands. "Let's get this sucker."

I feel my eyes widen. "Jace, why do you have a baseball bat?"

"Why wouldn't I have a baseball bat?" He asks, as if its common knowledge that all twenty year old guys have baseball bats in their room. "Now, are we going to kill this spider or let it rule over our lives forever?"

"I hardly think it will rule over our lives, Jace-"

"Well then it's settled." He whacks the bat once in his hand before turning back to the bathroom.

"Jace, wait!" I grab his arm, able to feel the muscle contracting under his skin and try not to let it put me off my train of thought. "We can't just kill the thing."

"You got any better ideas? Would you like to take care of it?"

"In fact, go ahead. But don't dent the bath, Izzy will kill us."

I watch him walk into the bathroom, the bat swinging expertly in his grip, and the door shuts behind him. And for the next few minutes all I hear is crashes and bangs, grunts and yells, before the door opens once again and Jace walks out, his smug look back on his face.

"Well?" I ask as he walks past me, the bat leaning against his shoulder.

"Let's just say," he paused to swirl the bat around in the air. "That spider won't be bothering us for a long time."

He begins to retreat back into his room but I stop him again. "Wait, aren't you going to have a shower? That is why you went in there in the first place isn't it?"

Jace makes a discussed face. "I'm not going to shower after that thing has been in there. God knows what it's been doing." He looks at me again before smirking. "Later, gingernut."

Seriously, gingernut? This guy must be getting desperate. I've had better insults from the kids next door to my parents, and they're six. I stick my tongue out at his closed door before turning and walking back to my own room, hoping that my perfect colour paint hasn't dried up.

**I enjoyed writing this chapter, Clary/Jace interaction is always fun. I have also just finished writing chapter 8 (I know right, am I ahead or what?) and let's just say, all you Sizzy supporters out there will – hopefully – be happy. I may update again today if I can be bothered, **_**and **_**if I get enough reviews…*hint hint***


	7. Chapter 7

**I know, I know. I'm great. I updated again, like I said. Now before you read I have a question to those of you who have read John Green's **_**Paper Towns.**_** I want to know what I'm getting myself into before I continue reading, so, does anyone die? I don't think I can take another death, not after TFIOS and Looking For Alaska. Answer my question and I will forever love you.**

**Now you can read the chapter, enjoy.**

_**Clary**_

Despite the fact that Jace had 'handled' the spider situation, I still felt uncomfortable to step foot into the shower, so by the time morning rolled around I was uncovered and my hair was a mess. I tried my best to brush it out but that just made it more wild and frizzy, too big to put in a bobble.

Sighing in frustration I stalk out of my room, already dressed in dark wash jeans, a lose fitting grey T-shirt, my red chuck Taylor's and a black leather jacket, and my hair an untamed red mess around my head.

Izzy and Alec are already in the kitchen, Izzy by the cooker, a pan on the hob with something burning inside of it.

I join Alec at the table, who is staring at his sister, a confused look on his face. "What's she trying to make this time?" I ask him quietly as I slip into the chair opposite him.

Alec shakes his head. "I think it's meant to be pancakes, although I'm not sure, I saw her putting half a carton of milk in the mixture."

I shudder, and not just at her pancake mix, but at Izzy's cooking all together. She always insists on cooking, and she always messes it up, even things as simple as cereal.

"Is she going to make us eat them?" I ask Alec, not taking my eyes of Izzy as she hums absentmindedly and prods at the pancake with a wooden spoon.

Alec shrugs. "I don't know, but I have to go now anyway, so good look."

Alec stands up, announcing to Izzy that he has to go, and that he really is sorry that he can't have any of the breakfast she made when she offers it, and before he leaves he shoots me an apologetic look, and I glare back.

"Well, Clary," Izzy says, turning to face me, pan in hand. "Looks like it's just me and you for breakfast."

"Erm, are you sure about that?" I ask as she places the pancake on a place and puts it in front of me. "Because, I really think that, erm..." I trail off, looking at the thing in front of me, swallowing as I can't think of a way out of this.

"What Clary is trying to say is, your cooking sucks Isabelle." Jace appears around the door, glancing at me and setting his eyes on Izzy. "And usually, whenever you feed someone, they always end up sick the next day."

My eyes flash to Jace, who is smirking at me and Izzy, his black shirt making his hair seem like it's glowing.

"Is it really that bad?" Izzy asks, frowning."

"Oh, it's worse," Jace says, sitting down I'm the seat Alec had just left. "Remember the the you fed Simon that casserole you made and he was sick for days after?"

"Or that lumpy meat loaf?" I add, grimacing at the memory.

Jace laughs and turns his attention to me. "What about that cake that wasn't cooked in the middle-"

"Okay, okay, my cooking is terrible, I get it," Izzy says, sitting next to me as I push the plate away.

"What happened to your hair?" Jace asks as if only noticing it.

"Shut up," I mumble, trying to discretely pat it down. "Anyway, don't you have somewhere to be?" I ask, narrowing my eyes at him grin.

"I don't actually, no. My classes don't start until twelve."

Izzy sits up and grins. "Well in that case, you can take Clary and I."

.o.O.o.

Jace had put up a fight, but in reality, he should have known he didn't stand a chance against Izzy.

Izzy and I are squished in the ridiculously small back seats of Jace's black Porsche 911, the interior smelling of leather and Jace - yes, he had a very distinct smell, and I must say, it isn't that bad - and how he is able to afford the car, let alone insurance, I don't know.

He wouldn't let either of us sit up front, claiming we might 'scuff the dashboard', or in Izzy's case 'get makeup on the leather', so he crammed us in the back, refusing to put the seats forward, which isn't really an issue for me, but it is for Izzy.

I watch as Jace caresses the cars wheel whilst turning and can't help but roll my eyes; this car probably receives more love and care than his girlfriend, if he had one.

"Jace," Izzy whines. "I don't see why you can't put your seat forward just an inch. I'm losing feelings in my legs."

Jace sighs. "You're the one that wanted a life from me. And besides, I don't hear Clary complaining." I see him glance at me in the review mirror and I narrow my eyebrows at him.

"That's because the cramped conditions are preventing me from breathing," I say, trying to move my backpack on my knee.

"Oh, stop whining, jeez. Anyway, we're there now."

Out of the tiny back window I see us pulling up into the student parking lot, Jace taking up two spaces with his car, saying how he can't risk damage when I ask why. He pops the seat forward, before opening the door and letting me out, taking my backpack whilst I wrestle with my legs to get out of the car.

I hear him chuckle as I stumble out, his arm griping my wrist to stop me face planting the concrete. "Thanks," I mumble, straightening out as Izzy clambers out, muttering as string of curses as she does so.

"Thanks for the help," she snaps as she finally get out, patting her perfect hair down and slinging her bag over her shoulder.

"Sorry, I was helping Clary from hitting the floor." Jace closes the door to his car.

Izzy's phone begins to buzz and she checks it. "Oh, god. I have to go, see you later, Clary. Thanks for the lift, Jace." She smiles at me over her shoulder before walking away to whoever called, leaving Jace and I alone.

I look back to Jace, who is looking at me, and clear my throat, indicating my backpack with my eyes, which is still slung over Jace's shoulder.

"Oh, right," he says as he passes it to me. "Sorry."

I smile at him and turn, about to head off to the cafeteria where I always meet Simon before class and get my usual coffee, but Jace grabs my hand, spinning me back around.

I jump at the contact, and Jace immediately let's go of my hand and I find myself missing it. "Erm," Jace coughs to clear his throat, his eyes downcast on the floor by my feet. "I was wondering," he eyes flick back to lock on mine, "if you were doing anything after class? Because I thought that maybe, you would want to, I don't know, get a coffee with me or something?"

My eyebrows furrow. Was I hearing this right? Did Jace, new-girl-every-night Jace, just ask me to get coffee with him? How the fuck do I respond to that? I mean, of course, I would like to get coffee with him, but I don't know if I really what to _get coffee_ with him. There is a difference. I just haven't really found out what it is yet.

Would this count as a date? If so, where on earth did that come from? Sure, he has his moments that I find myself questioning my hatred towards him, like whenever he scrunches his nose up, or whenever his signature smirk crosses his lips, which is like, all the time, or when he let slip his wall of arrogance and the real Jace shows through-

"It was a stupid idea." I am pulled out of my thoughts by Jace's voice and my attention snaps back to him. His is shaking his head, a sad smile on his face. "Never mind."

I watch as he turns back to his car and walk around to the driver's side, and it takes all of my will power to call out his name. "Jace! Wait." He stops and looks up from the other side of the car. "I'll go get coffee with you," I say, smiling."

One of Jace's eyebrows raise. "Really? I'll be here when you finish. At one, right?"

I nod, confused as to how he knows when I finish. "Okay, I'll see you then. Bye." I look away from him, my eyebrows drawn in in confusion as to what just happened, pause for a moment to take it all in and compose myself, then straighten up and walk in the general direction of Simon.

.o.O.o.

The day dragged by agonisingly slowly, and even during art class I found myself looking back at the clock every five minutes.

By the time one o'clock rolled around my mind must have drifted back to this morning with Jace at least twenty times, and each time the fluttering in my stomach got stronger. I can't tell if it's nerves, or weather I'm just excited - but this is Jace, why would I be excited to spend the afternoon with him?

I stand in the school car park, my backpack at me feet and my arms wrapping my jacket around me to keep the cold out, the wind blowing my hair in my face like a whip. I look around the car park, peering into every window that could possibly be Jace's, and check my phone for the time. Ten past. I guess lunch time traffic could be bad.

My teeth are chattering when I finally hear my name being called from behind me. I spin around, careful not to knock my bag over remembering the unopened yoghurt still in there, and see Jace heading towards me donning a leather jacket - much like mine, except more manlier - a white button down shirt, and tidy black jeans.

"Clary, sorry I'm late," he says when he reaches me, his windswept hair actually suiting him, whereas mine probably looks worse than this morning.

"Don't worry," I say bending down to pick up my backpack and sling it over my back. "So where're we going?"

"Well that would be no fun, would it?" I grin before starting walking back in the direction he came from, me beside him. Only now do I realise how much of an effort jaw seems to have made on his appearance. On closer explanation, I see that his jeans are Levi's and his shirt is Burberry - clothing I didn't even know he owned. I suddenly feel underdressed in my dirty Chucks and ripped jeans.

"I thought we were just getting coffee?" I ask around the mouthful of hair that blew into my face.

"Oh, we are," he says, looking directly ahead, a small smirk on his face.

I suppress a sigh and continue to follow him thought the streets that are becoming less crowded due to the weather; I wouldn't be surprised if it started raining.

A shiver runs though me as a large gust of wind blows stroke enough to rattle my bones, and my teeth begin to chatter again.

"Cold?" Jace asks, looking down at me, one eyebrow raised.

"No, I'm just shivering for the fun of it." My voice is sharp as I pull my jacket tighter around me, wishing I wore one that actually zipped up.

Jace chuckles. "Well, we're here, so..." He lets the sentence trail off as he opened the door for me, and I gratefully step into the warmth emanating from inside.

A wave of hot air hits me as soon as I step through the door, and I sigh before taking in my surroundings. Jace has brought me to what at first seems like a book shop, but on second glance I see chairs and tables dotted around, a warm fireplace lit at the back, and a display table containing cakes, cookies, more cakes, and more cookies, and behind that a large coffee machine run by a single barista. Bookshelves line the walls, each full of books, and people browse through them, occasionally picking one out.

The deep burgundy walls and dark wood floor give the place a small and cosy atmosphere, and the strong smell of coffee and old books add to the effect.

I feel a hand on my back and look up to see Jace guiding me to a table in the far corner, away from everyone else. "Where are we?" I ask as I sit on a chair he pulled put for me, placing my bag on the floor under the table.

"My aunt owns it, and my mother used to take me here when I was younger." Jace doesn't look at me as he speaks, his eyes flicking around as if reliving a fond memory.

I look around the table and see a menu, the top reading in italics _Montclaire's_. "Montclaire?" I ask, taking the menu as Jace sits down.

"My aunts last name."

I raise my eyebrows at him over the menu and he laughs.

"She's French. And so is my mother. So yes, I am half French."

"So that's your last name!" I exclaim, realising I didn't really know it. "Say something in French, then."

Jace paused for a moment, looking at me from under his eyebrows, before he says, "Je sais, je suis beau."

I furrow my eyebrows and purse my lips, my lack of knowledge towards the French language embarrassing seeing as I have up listening to my teacher when I was fourteen. "What does that mean?" I ask, but before he can reply, a woman, in her late thirties with blond hair comes up to our table, a smile on her face.

"Jace!" She exclaims with a light French accent, I can only presume for her to be Jace's aunt. "How wonderful to see you, dear. And I see you brought a friend?" Her yes land on me, and I can see the faint resemblance between her and Jace.

"I'm Clary." I smile and offer her my hand, which she takes and shakes twice.

"I'm Monique, Jace's aunt. His mother's sister."

I glance at Jace and notice something in his eyes at the mention of his mother. I don't know much about him, but I do know that his mother died when he was young; according to Izzy she killed herself at the grief of losing her father.

"How's your father, Jace?" Monique asks, looking back at Jace.

He nods string at the table. "He's good. Not seen him in a while."

"Ah," Monique sighs. "Well, we really must see each other more often Jace, but for now, what can I get you two? On the house."

Jace looks up at me, indicating for me to go first. "Err, coffee please." I decline any milk when she asks and look back to Jace.

"Some of your special cake and coffee please."

Monique smiles and nods before heading off with our order, but not before saying something in French to Jace, which makes him grin and look at me.

"You have to try some of her cake," he says when Monique is gone. "It is the best thing you will have ever tasted. She makes it every year for my birthday."

"Well it better be, you've set high expectations for me now." I start to fiddle with the menu stand in the centre of the table. "So how come we're doing this?" I ask.

"Doing what? Getting coffee?" I nod. "Well, I had nothing better to do, and I take it neither did you, so why not?"

"And how do you know I didn't have anything else on?"

"Come on, Clary. You never have anything on." I snort at Jace's answer, knowing full well that he was right.

"And, I don't know, I thought it would be nice."

My eyes flick up to Jace through my lashes as our drinks and his cake our placed on the table, and I feel my lips tug up into a small smile. He smiles back over his mug, and the look in his eyes speaks a thousand words, I just hope one of them is 'friend'.

**Someone's just been seriously friendzoned. Don't worry, they will get together eventually when Clary sees sense. Review and make me happy? Its Monday tomorrow, I need it.**


	8. Chapter 8

_**Clary**_

For some reason I am sitting on the sofa, party hat askew on my head, with a dozen other sleeping people on the floor around me. What the hell happened last night to make Isabelle practically fall asleep on top of me?

_-Last night-_

"Jordan is brining Simon over," Eric tells me over the phone. "He said they should be here in half an hour, so be here in fifteen minutes."

"Okay, Eric, I'll see you then." I hang up and thrown the phone down onto the couch, before finalising the wrapping on Simon's present, a bunch of new manga comics that came out last night. That son of a bitch better be grateful, I queued outside the store for five hours last night, just to get him these.

Just as I am making sure the folds are crisp, Izzy walks into the living room, a red dress clinging to her body, and knee high black boots making her legs look even longer than they are naturally. Her lips match the colour of her dress, her dark eyes emphasised by mascara and eyeliner, and her hair a perfect black wave down her back and over her shoulders.

I see her lips move but I am too focused on how she looks to hear her, and she says my name twice before I respond.

"Sorry, what?" I ask, shaking my head and turning to pick up the present.

"I said, how do I look?" Izzy holds her arms out before her and spins around once.

"Really good. I don't see how Simon could say no." I grin at her expression as she remembers Simon.

"Oh, Clary, I don't think I can do this," she says, coming round to sit on the couch behind me. "What if he says he doesn't like me? How embarrassing would that be! Clary, I can't do it, just go without me." Her breathing gets heavier and quicker, as she stares at me, her eyes widened, her eyelashes touching her sculpted eyebrows.

I stand up from my spot on the floor, my determined face set on Izzy, and her eyes follow me as I get closer to her, close enough so I have to look down at her. "Isabelle Lightwood." My voice is hard, unquestioning.

"Yes?" She squeaks.

"I am not going to let you stay here when you look absolutely fantastic, and you are not going to let this opportunity get by without seizing it. Now stand up, hold this, and walk out of the door with me." I thrust the present into her hands and spin her around and march her to the door.

Once we're out I lock the door behind me and drag Izzy down the flight of stairs, marvelling at how smoothly she does so in six inch heels.

I told her this morning not to dress to fancy, that some jeans and a cute top would do, but I guess I should have realised that, Isabelle being Isabelle, would not be the case.

Despite my telling Izzy, I start to feel underdressed in my black skiney jeans and white and blue stripy jumper.

I follow Izzy outside into the street, the sun begining to set easier than last month, and am suprised when she starts walking in the direction to Eric's house.

"We're walking?" I ask, jogging slightly to keep up with her kind strides.

"It's only ten minutes away."

"Yeah, but..." I point to her shoes, but sigh as she just picks up her pace, the anxious expression in her eyes becoming more vivid as we round the corner to Eric's street.

Eric's house, where Simon's party is being held, is one of many along a wide road, trees on either side. Yellow, orange, brown and red leaves create a carpet under our feet as we walk along the path, Izzy's heels ripping them to shreds where as my flats just, well, flatten them.

We come to a stop outside of a small, two story house with a blue door and white frames windows, and a garage off to the side, the door lifted half open.

I glance at Izzy as she stares ahead at the garage, and roll my eyes when she doesn't move, taking her hand and pulling her inside.

The interior of the garage does not reflect the outside of the house what so ever. It's clear from the posters on the wall to the bottles of Mountain Dew in the corner that this is where the boys spend most of their time. A drum kit sits in the back left corner, along with two amplifiers and a microphone stand, a guitar leaning against the wall. The only difference now is the many multi-coloured balloons littering the floor, and a large banner handing over the drums reading 'Happy 20th Simon!'.

Matt and Kirk are arguing about something, Matt waving a deflated balloon around to emphasise his words, Kirk trying to avoid being hit by the balloon, and behind them, another girl with short, curly brown hair and olive skin leans against the wall, looking exceptionally bored. I recognise her as Jordan's girlfriend, Maia I think her name is, although we have never officially met before.

She seems to spot us, her eyes widening in relief as she heads over. "Oh, thank god you guys are here," she exclaims with a sigh. "I didn't think I'd be able to handle those two for another minute. I'm Maia, by the way." She offers me her hand and I take it, introducing myself. I notice that Maia isn't as dressed up as Izzy either, simply wearing a black shirt with a yellow Batman symbol in the centre and black jeans.

Izzy seems unfazed despite the fact she is overdressed, and greets Maia in a traditional Isabelle manor: a hug and a squeal.

"What are they arguing about?" I ask Maia, observing the two guys as Matt hits Kirk in the face with the balloon.

"I don't know, I stopped listening after the word 'infatuated' was said for the third time."

Infatuated? What the hell?

The door leading into the house opens and Eric walks out, holding a large box full of party hats and party poppers. "Guys!" He shouts at Matt and Kirk, who eventually stop, and then notices us. "Oh, Clary." He walks over to us, holding three party hats and party poppers. "Put these on, and put the present on the...urm..." He turns around, looking for a table, but there is none. "Just put it on the floor over there. They'll be here soon."

I take the hats off him and Maia takes the poppers as Izzy places the present on the floor. I hand her a hat and she stares at it for a second before putting it on, and I do the same. I'm sure we all look like dorks, and if anyone saw us through the open garage door they would steer their children away and cross over the street.

"Hey!" Maia shouts, silencing everyone. "Jordan just text me, they are like four doors down!"

Eric almost screams and I let him place me where he wants everyone for the big surprise, shouting demands before turning the light off and joining us all behind the old couch.

There is silence and then stumbling footsteps, then Simons voice. "What the hell? I thought we were having emergency band meeting! Where is everyone, this better not be some sort of sick joke, it's by birthday!"

The lights are switched up and we all jump from behind the couch, yelling "surprise!" and pulling the party poppers, confetti raining down everywhere, as Simons screams die down.

I burst out laughing at the look of pure horror on his face until he realises what's going on, his eyes romancing quickly over the room before a huge grin plasters his face

"Guyyyyys!" He says. "I thought you'd all forgotten!"

Jordan walks up behind him and whacks him on the back, grinning. "How could we forget? You reminded us of it at least ten times I'm the past week. Happy birthday, dude."

There is a chorus of happy birthday's and someone places a hat on his head and pins a large birthday badge to his shirt.

Presents are given out, and I make sure Izzy and I hand him ours last. He grins at me as he rips the paper off, and I swear, the reaction he has is more than I hoped for. His mouth drops open and his eyes widen as he flips through the pages. He mumbled something incoherently, his eyes flipping from the book in his hands to me, and when he finally does manage out a sentence, it's just a series of stutters and the occasional 'what?'

When the initial shock of it passes he thanks us both, still holding the comics to his chest even though his glasses are falling down his nose.

I glance up at Izzy, who is starting at Simon, toying with her hands folded by her stomach, and make some lame excuse about going to talk to Maia in order to leave the two alone, ignoring the annoyed but equally scared glare Izzy shoots after me. Luckily, Maia is seated on the couch opposite Simon and Izzy, and I sit down next to her. She seems to follow my gaze, and grins when she sees.

"Let the shoe begin," I whisper quietly, leaning back into the couch.

_**Izzy**_

As soon as Clary leaves I feel my heart rate pick up and my breathing becoming un even. Simon and I have never been alone together since we met...and I thought it would be a lot more awkward.

Conversation seems to flow freely and smoothly, and to be honest I have no idea what we're talking about, I'm just award of my lips moving, and Simons moving in response, and then suddenly, we're kissing.

It's not hot and needy; it's not soft and careful. It's just my lips against his, his fingers around my neck, tilting my head up to his, and my fingers in his hair. His smell of mint and lavender mixing with my own, and the noises of the party drowning out around us. It's just me and him, and him and me, and I want it to be like this forever.

_**Clary**_

Shortly after their kiss, which was amazingly straight forward - Simon didn't wet himself, and Izzy didn't break down - Eric got the alcohol out, and after a few hours of drinking, red cups are strewn everywhere, Eric is slurring some morbid poetry into the microphone, Jordan is listening, hanging into every word like it's a lifeline, Kirk and Matt are singing karaoke, Simon and Izzy are still kissing, and Maia and I are sitting on the couch, a red up each, bringing it up to our lips in unison.

I'm happy for my two best friends, they can finally stop fawning over each other in secret now, but if I'd have known that all they would be doing is kissing, then I may have thought it through a bit more. Not that Maia isn't good company, just sitting here and watching them swapping spit isn't how I imagined this night to go.

But hey, it's not my birthday.

There is a loud crash from across the garage and Eric and Jordan are passed out on the floor, drum symbols around them. Maia sighs and stands up. "I'm gonna go check if he's alright."

I nod and watch her walk over to her boyfriend, she gently nudges him with her foot and he groans, reaching up and pulling her down with him. She sits cross-legged by him and I look away as they start to kiss.

Matt and Kirk have abandoned the karaoke machine and are now nowhere to be seen, most likely in the house.

I take another sip of my drink, despite the dizzy feeling in my head, and close my eyes, letting the pleasure of whatever it is I'm drinking wash over me, and I am gone.

**I am really not happy with this chapter at all, but no matter how many times I re-wrote it, it just didn't get better. The only bit I do like if Simon and Izzy's kiss, no matter how short. Next chapter should be up by Friday. **

**Review? x**


	9. Chapter 9

**Happy birthday, Mean Girls! 10 years since Cady Heron wore army pants and flip-flops! Who wore pink today? I certainly did.**

**Here's chapter 9, enjoy!**

_**Clary**_

Up until now I had really had Alec pegged as the protective big brother he actually is. After the party, when Izzy and I had finally left with promises of Simon coming round tomorrow, we had finally gotten home and somehow Alec knew all about Simon.

He had immediately latched onto Izzy, telling her all of the usual things like if Simon hurt her he would hurt him, and if he got her pregnant he wouldn't live to see another day.

Izzy had just waved him off, complaining of a headache and retreating to her room, leaving Alec and I alone, Jace probably out somewhere.

I walk over to the couch, falling over the back of it and landing on my stomach on the soft cushions, burying my head in the armrest. I hear Alec shuffling around to sit on the other end by my feet, seeing as I don't take up the whole couch with the short size.

"So," he says awkwardly, looking for a conversation topic. The last time we were in a room alone, I found out he was gay, and accidentally smashed a vase over his boyfriend, which I am actually surprised Izzy didn't notice. "Jace took you out for coffee?"

I lift my head up, turning it at an odd angle to see him. "How did you know that?" I ask, my voice slightly muffled by the couch.

He stares at me blankly. "He's Jace, I'm Alec. What don't I know?"

It should have come to no surprise that Alec knew, he and Jace are best friends, practically brothers, and they share a room. I guess it would be hard for Alec not to know.

"Yes, I guess he did." Jace and I hadn't really spoken about that since it happened, I had been too engrossed in my painting and he had been doing whatever he does.

"Look, Clary." I turn properly to face Alec, his voice taking on a serious tone. "I know Jace, I have done since we were young, and I can tell something has changed with him."

I narrow my eyes in confusion, wondering where Alec could be going with this. Yes, Jace has been acting slightly different; I mean he hasn't flooded the bath or anything recently.

"I think that your little coffee date-"

"It wasn't a date," I interrupt. _Well, at least, it wasn't for me_.

"Well, that's the thing," Alec continues. "I think it meant something different to Jace that it did to you." He looks at me, his eyes expectant, and sighs when I don't respond. "Have you noticed how there has been no different girls here every morning? He hasn't made a move on anyone in a while."

I contemplate what Alec is saying, and I think I know what he is getting at, I just hope I'm wrong. I thought that all the girls had finally seen sense.

"Clary, just think about it for a while, yeah? And try to understand what I'm getting at." With that he stand up from the couch and walks out.

Well, that was not the conversation I was expecting.

.o.O.o.

An hour and some aspirin later I head back to work, the now complete canvas covered with a sheet awkwardly in my arms. The painting was meant to be back yesterday, but I'm hoping Daniel will be fine with it today.

I ignore all of the strange looks shot my way as I walk down the street, once again thanking that is isn't raining, despite the fact that is is November. I finaly reach the gallery, and unlock the door, the bell chiming above me. No one else is in the gallery, but there is a not taped to the door to the office.

_Clary,_

_Should you come at a time when I am not in, the keys to my truck are in the top draw under this note._

_~Daniel_

An address follows and I can only assume it is the one of the book store my painting is for. I open the top draw of the filing cabinet beside the door and grab the keys before walking out of the gallery again, car keys in my mouth, door keys in one hand, and canvas held awkwardly in the other.

I lock the door again before heading over to the only truck on the street: a large, clean, white pickup truck, parked on the side of the road. I load the painting into the back and haul myself up into the driver's seat. The truck starts nicely and smoothly and I pull out into the road, heading to the bookstore.

It only takes five minutes to get there and I park outside. The bookstore is reasonably small, a wooden sign above the door painted green. _Graymark's Books_ painted in gold italics on the window.

I cut off the engine before climbing out and ringing the doorbell on the side of the door, what sort of bookstore has a doorbell I think to myself as the door opens and reveals the last person I expect to see.

"Luke!" I squeal, throwing myself into his arms. Luke is my mother's best friend, and I've known him since I was born. I used to call him Uncle Luke when I was younger, according to my mother, and it took them months to get me out of the habit. I haven't seen him in months, no one would tell me why he wasn't coming round as much, but I suspect it had something to do to with my father; the two never were on good terms.

"Clare? What on earth are you doing here?" I asks, squeezing me to his chest and resting his chin onto of my head.

"I painted the painting you ordered," I mumble through his shirt, taking comfort in the familiar scent I had grown up with.

Luke let's go of me and holds me by my shoulders. "You work there now?" He asks, and I nod. "Well let's take a look at the masterpiece then."

He helps me lift the painting out of the tuck and carries it through the door. I follow him to immediately be hit by the familiar scent of books, and I am reminded of Montclaires, the café where Jace took me, and Alec's words.

He can't have been implying what I think he was, and if he was he was under the wrong impression. There is nothing between Jace and I, and if there was I'd feel it. But then again, Izzy had the same idea. And that look in his eyes said differently.

I shake my head in attempts to clear it of any Jace related thoughts and continue through the store after Luke. He leads me into a back room, containing boxes upon boxes of more books and a small desk in the centre. He places the painting against the desk and pulls the cover off it as I stand next to him.

His expression makes me smile, and I can tell he likes it without him saying anything, and I am glad.

I notice a pictures frame on his desk and turn it around to face me. I smile even wider at the picture inside. It is one of me, when I was only ten, my mother, and Luke all stood outside the Tower of London, the ravens in the background, and someone dressed as a Yeoman Warder standing with us.

I turn back to Luke, who is looking at the photo as well and hug him once more, not realising how much I have missed him. He wastes no time before his arms are around me again. "The painting is really good, Clare," he says when I pull away. "I'll take pride in hanging it."

We spend the next few hours at the bookstore, catching up with each other and reminiscing in old memories. I tell him about Jace and the bathtub scenario, about college and classes, Simons party the previous night, and the date - although I make it extremely clear that it was not at date, it's just easier to call it that - with Jace. He listens quietly throughout it all, laughing when appropriate, and when I'm finished looks at me a moment before speaking.

"So, do you like this Jace, then?" He asks.

I groan, my head falling into my hands. "Why does everyone keep saying that?" I grumble.

"Because," he starts, and I peek up at him through my fingers. "It sure seems like you do."

"Well I don't. I mean, I don't even know if I class us as friends. But sure, he's fun to hang around with when he isn't being a complete dickhead," I stop and mouth a sorry at the look he gives me when I say 'dickhead', and continue. "But I don't like him like him."

I am aware of the fact that I am saying all of these things to Luke, a nearly fifty-year-old adult who probably couldn't give a monkeys about my boy troubles, but whenever I speak to him about something that is worrying me, I can't help but spill it all out under his understanding gaze, knowing that if it were anyone else I was talking to I wouldn't be saying half of the stuff.

"I don't know if he likes me, I mean, before last week the only contact we had was either insulting or glaring at each other."

Luke is silent for a moment as I look at him, waiting for the wise words that always accompany him.

"Well, if it were me," he says. "I'd keep my options open. And don't be afraid to let things change course, Clary. Sometimes, that's the best thing they can do."

**I have chapter 10 written, and I think you guys will be happy with it, I hope you will be anyway!**

**Tell me what you think, leave a review? x **


	10. Chapter 10

_**Clary**_

Luke's words stay with me, even after I left and headed home. My thoughts keep drifting back to them, replaying them over and over again in my head, trying to give them a different meaning than intended.

Three people have assumed the same thing in the past week, would I be better to just go along with them, let things change course? But would that be wise? Would I really be able to change things with Jace, make things work?

I don't know.

I am pulled out of my thoughts as Netflix comes to life on the TV, and I flick through the movies, trying to find a decent Disney one that I haven't seen recently.

I skip past Frozen; Izzy has made me watch it too many times before, and although it's a good film, and the snowman is cute, I decide against it, knowing that while Izzy isn't here I may as well watch something else while I have the chance.

I flick past four more, leaning back into the couch, sighing, when I find Tangled. It takes me less than a second to select it and get it playing, instantly tune in when Flynn Rider's magical voice starts speaking.

I am pulled into the movie, all previous thoughts and worries forgotten, the only thing in my mind is how Rapunzel and I share the same eyes.

I don't know how long it takes before I recognise the presence next to me, and it takes me even longer to acknowledge it. I turn my head as the violinist begins to play on the film, and see Jace staring at me.

I raise my eyebrows when he doesn't say anything, just keeps on watching me. I feel myself growing fidgety under his gaze. "What?" I ask, smiling and nude him shoulder with the heel of my hand.

He blinks when I gently shove him and one side of his mouth quirks up in a smirk. "Nothing," he says with amusement in his voice as he leans back in the couch.

"Why were you staring at me?" I ask, leaning back next to him. His smirk grows into a full on smile, and I notice a chip in his top incisor, one fault in an otherwise perfect piece. But isn't that what makes things perfect? The little faults we find, that help emphasis the beauty, because what is beauty without faults?

_Whoa there, Clary, where did that come from?_ I close my eyes momentarily. Jace is not _beautiful_. Okay, so he has perfect hair, deep eyes, his nose fits his face well, and his sex appeal is at an all-time high, but he isn't _beautiful_.

_No, he's more._

I shake my head violently a couple of times before opening my eyes. _No_. I can't think like that.

When my eyes open I am greeted by Flynn taking Rapunzel out on the boat, the castle dark in the background, soon to be lit with glowing lanterns.

I look back to Jace and out eyes meet, he was looking at me all throughout my battle with myself, and I feel my cheeks grow pink.

"Clary," he says, his voice softer than usual.

I look at him, my eyes on his, and I see them flick down to my lips, and mine soon follow down to his. "This is so not how I planned this," Jace murmurs, shaking his head slightly.

And it happens slowly at first, and I'm not sure exactly what is going on, but I find myself going along with it. Jace is leaning down towards me, his head tilted to fit with mine, and I am leaning into him, my eyes fluttering closed as he gets closer.

And suddenly his lips are on mine, and my eyes shoot open at the contact, to only then close again in bliss.

Of course, I have kissed people before, Simon was my first. But none of them felt as _real_ as this. All my senses hype up, and I feel his hand on my waist, the other behind my neck, I feel his hair tickling my forehead and his breath on the side of my mouth. I can't help but smile against his lips when I hear _'I see the light'_ playing in the background, the lanterns on the TV casting a glow over the otherwise dark room.

As Jace's lips press down on mine, and I return the pressure, my mind drifts back to this morning. And I am glad I let things change course.

Jace pulls away slowly, exhaling deeply, and our eyes meet as the chorus of the songs blasts out around us.

"That was so cliché," Jace whispers, pressing his forehead down on mine.

I close my eyes again. "I like cliché," I whisper back, tilting my head back to meet his lips again.

**They did it! It finally happened! What'd you think? Was it how you thought it would happen? You don't know how many times I had to stop myself from going all TFIOS on your asses during this chapter, but I avoided it…kind of anyway.**

**So I am having some slight writers block with the next chapter, but it will hopefully be Clary and Jace fluff. Promise I will try to write it over the weekend and hopefully it should be up by early next week.**

**Make my happy and review? x**


	11. Chapter 11

**Here's chapter 11, I finally got it finished, took me long enough. I apologise in advance for the last half of this chapter, I wrote it whilst giddy from Nutella.**

_**Clary**_

Izzy came home soon after, and was relatively shocked to say the least when she found me fast asleep on Jace's chest.

How do I know this? She woke me up with her inconsistent babbling; asking question and demanding to know what happened.

I was slightly embarrassed to have fallen asleep on Jace's chest, and even more so when Izzy came in, and up until now she hasn't laid off with the questions needing difficult answers.

I don't exactly know how to respond to most of the questions she fires at me, or feel to uncomfortable to answer the rest.

Jace eventually gets her to stop. "Isabelle, shut up."

Izzy glares at Jace but shuts her mouth.

"Why do you care what goes on between Clary and I?" He asks as I yawn.

Izzy seems to think about the question, before setting her eyes on me and answering. "Because I don't want to see her get hurt, she's my best friend." Her eyes soften further as she looks at me, smiling. I smile back and look down at my knees, and I feel my cheeks flaming slightly, although I don't know why.

"Why would I hurt Clary?" Jace asks, eyebrows drawn down in confusion.

Izzy looks blankly at Jace, her eyebrow cocked the only hint of expression, before turning back to me. "Don't do anything stupid," she says, although I'm not sure who is is speaking to, before she stands up to leave. However, when she reaches the doorway to the hall she stops and turns back to us. "My date with Simon went splendidly, thanks for asking," she says, before finally walking back to her room.

Only now do I realise the different feeling in the room now it it just Jace and I. I didn't realise it earlier, probably because of the crazy tingling that had taken hold of my body when Jace and I kissed.

...When Jace and I _kissed_.

Jace and I, me and Jace, him and me, me and him, kissed! I feel my breathing growing shallower and faster, my lungs struggling to contract and expand, and my fingers clutch the edges of the couch.

But for some reason, as I keep my eyes scrunched shut, I realise that, actually, I'm glad it happened.

Exhaling through my nose, I open my eyes again and turn to look at Jace, who is staring at me looking concerned.

"You okay?" He asks, and I nod smiling.

"It's late," he says, and I check the time on the clock on the wall: 11:57. "You should get some sleep, you look a bit pale."

I nod again, standing up from the couch, wobbling on my feet. Jace stands up with me and reaches for my elbow, but I pull back slightly. "I've got it," I say, heading towards the doorway. "Goodnight, Jace."

I barely hear his reply as I slip round the corner and down the hall into my room, but I feel the same tingling feeling coming back to me as he says my name, and I can't help the small smile that tugs on my lips as I climb into bed, the duvet cocooning around me as I fall asleep.

.o.O.o.

When I wake I have a moment of disorientation. My covers are over the top of me, and I don't know which way is up, and for split second I panic and thrash around until I see a stream of light and dive towards it, to then only go tumbling off the edge of the bed causing a large thump. I groan, lying down on the floor and throwing my arm over my eyes to protect them from the sun streaming in through the open curtains.

My mind drifts back to last night, and I find myself embracing in the memory, finally coming to recognition. I like Jace. I like Jace and the way his shirts fit his body perfectly, and how his jeans hang off his hips in a really appealing way, how all of his annoying traits have suddenly turned into ones that add to his list of perks. I like Jace, and I don't know why I haven't realised this sooner.

I pull myself up from the floor and head out of my door in search for Jace, my intentions to tell him how I feel. I'm still wearing my clothes from yesterday, which isn't that bad seeing as it is just a pair of pyjama shorts and a long sleeved grey shirt. My hair is a wild mess around my head, wilder than usual, but I don't care.

I walk down the hallway to Jace and Alec's room and knock on the door before poking my head around. I see Alec laying on his bed awake, a black laptop sitting on his stomach, and he looks up when the door creaks.

"Hey." He seems surprised to see me, but smiles nevertheless.

"Is Jace in?" I ask, looking at the empty bed on the other side of the room.

Alec shakes his head. "He was up hours ago."

My eyes flick to the clock on Alec's bedside table and see in shock that it is nearly ten, I never sleep for this long. "Okay, thanks anyway." I send him a quick smile before closing the door again,and nearly jumping out of my skin when I feel a hand on my waist. I look up and see Jace grinning down at me.

"Looking for something?" He asks, but I cut him off by reaching up on my tiptoes and pressing my lips to his quickly before pulling away again. "What was that for?" He asks, trying to hold back a smile.

"I'm sorry," I say, my eyes flicking down to my feet.

"For what?" His two fingers lift my chin up, and our eyes lock.

"For everything." My voice comes out as a hoarse whisper, tears beginning behind my eyes. I don't know why I'm getting upset, maybe it's because Jace is the one I've known from the beginning, and it has taken me all this time to find him, or maybe it's because I finally have found him, I'm afraid of losing him.

Either way, my bottom lip begins to wobble and I scrunch my eyes up, trying to hold off the dam of tears threatening to break.

I feel Jace's arms around me, covering my back completely, and he pulls me into his chest, hugging me tight.

"I'm sorry, too," Jace says into my hair, his breath tickling the back of my neck.

We stand there, my silently crying into his shirt and him never letting go of his hold on me and I realise that this is how things should be, should always have been, and always should be, until we are interrupted.

Izzy clears her throat next to us, and I reluctantly pull out of Jace's embrace.

"Clary?" She asks, probably noticing the red rims around my eyes and the tear stains like racing tracks down my face. "What happened?"

I offer Izzy a small smile and shake my head. "Nothing," I say, but my voice comes out weak and quiet, so I clear my throat and say it again. "Breakfast?" I ask, changing the topic and walking past Izzy to the kitchen.

I feel Izzy and Jace following me, and hear a door creaking open, probably Alec joining us.

In the kitchen I don't stop walking until I get to the fridge and pull it open. I stand there, one hand still on the door, as the rest of them file in. Izzy offers to make breakfast, and Jace and Alec are too quick to decline, Jace saying he has already eaten, and Alec saying he's not hungry.

I close the fridge door, not happy with the selection of food - or lack of it - and turn back to everyone.

Alec is mumbling to Jace, his voice deep and quiet, and Jace's eyebrows are furrowed as he listens. I walk over to Izzy, who is standing by the oven, and lift myself up to sit on the countertop next to her.

"What are they talking about?" I ask, nodding my head towards the two guys.

"I don't know." Izzy angles her body so we are facing each other. "Maybe Alec is finally telling Jace about Magnus."

"You know?" My eyes narrow in confusion; I didn't know Alec had told anyone. Unless most people have known for ages and Jace and I were just behind.

"Of course I know, he's my brother. He doesn't want me to know, but I do." Izzy shrugs her shoulders, watching her brother. "I don't know why he is keeping it a secret - he's gay, so what? Loads of people are gay."

"How long has he been keeping it a secret?" I ask, my gaze following hers and landing on Alec, and of either of them looked up now it would look extremely suspicious - two girl whispering hurriedly under their breath to each other whilst peering at two guys.

"I found out last month. When did you find out?"

"Last week, the week before? I'm not sure. But I walked into the kitchen and smashed a vase over Magnus." I only realise my confession after it has already passed my lips, and it's too late to take it back.

Izzy slowly turns her head to me, her eyes ablaze with something crossed between recognition and anger. "You smashed my vase?" She asks, scarily calmly.

A swallow audibly, not wanting to have to confront this side of Izzy. "Erm...I'll buy you a new one?" I offer, smiling sheepishly.

Izzy grins and her scary side is left behind. "Don't worry," she laughs. "So, anyway," her eyes flick back to Jace and Alec, although predominately on Jace. "Are you two, like, 'a thing' now, or what? Because I knew it would happen eventually, it was just a matter of when."

I look back at Jace and the crease in his eyebrows as he laughs at something Alec said, and the way his eyes sparkle as replies.

I don't know what I'd call us. As of this moment we have only kissed three times, and I only came to terms with my feelings less than two hours ago. What does it take to class as 'a thing'?

I am saved from having to reply when Alec and Jace stand up and walk the very short distance towards us. "What are you two whispering about?" Jace asks, leaning on the countertop next to me.

"Oh, you know," Izzy answers. "This, that, Alec, you."

Alec's face reddens. "What about me?"

Izzy grins at him, in the way siblings do, and Jace starts talking.

"So we decided about food. Alec's going to run down to the bakery down the road and get doughnuts. Any objections?"

"I thought you guys weren't hungry?" Izzy interjects, looking slightly hurt.

"I'm always hungry," Jace says. "But just not for your cooking." He sends me an uneven smile as he passes and I give him a small smile back, his hand brushing against mine as he goes. Alec follows him out, stating what doughnuts he's getting, and once the door to the kitchen closes after him and Jace, Izzy turns to me, eyes blazing with excitement.

"You are totally a thing." She grins.

**I need to make a start on chapter 12 now, and if any of you have any ideas for a future Clary/Jace date/cute fluffy moment, do feel free to tell me, I am lacking inspiration so it would be greatly appreciated.**

**Review? x**


	12. Chapter 12

**So this is more of just a filler chapter, nothing majorly important happens, they don't even kiss. But there is fluff…I think. Enjoy x**

_**Clary**_

I managed to get dressed for the day by the time Alec gets back, presenting a large box of twelve assorted doughnuts.

I bound into the kitchen, skidding to a stop next to the table in my socks, and throw myself down in an empty chair next to Izzy. Alec places the box of Krispy Krem doughnuts on the table, and as soon as the lid is lifted Jace appears, sitting in the chair opposite me, hand already pulling out a jam filled doughnut.

Izzy smacks his hand away, but he's already grinning like a loon and shoving half of the thing in his mouth, jam and frosting decorating his nose.

I look at him, and his deliciously topped nose, and I feel my hand start to reach out to wipe it of, but I stop myself, steering my hand to the box instead. Jace doesn't seem to notice though, because he is in the process of reaching for another, but he pulls his hand back as I stop to look at him, my eyebrows riased.

I select the same one Jace was going for, another jam, and grin at him as I take a bite. Whether it was the annoyed and flakily hurt look on his face, or the way the jam on his nose shinned in the light coming through the window, I felt myself reaching across, despite my internal protest, and wiping his nose clean with my thumb. As I am about to pull my hand back his flies out and catches it. Alec and Izzy are forgotten as I stare at Jace, his golden eyes boarding into mine, and my wrist goes slack in his grip. I am so lost in Jace's eyes that I don't have time to register the icing on his finger flying towards my nose, spreading the stuff all down my face.

I make a noise between a cry of surprise and one of annoyance, and my nose scrunches up causing the icing to stick together.

"Jace!" I shout, tugging my hand away from his grip and wiping my nose with my sleeve. "What was that for?"

"You look cute when your nose scrunches up," he tells me, smiling and I can't keep the scowl on my face long enough to create impact. I hid my wanting to laugh my glaring at him with my eyes, and hoping he doesn't see the grin on my face, as I take a bit out if my doughnut.

"Alright, I'm sorry." He takes another doughnut randomly from the box and stands up. "To make it up to you, be ready in two hours."

"Why?" I ask around a mouthful of jam. "What's happening in two hours?"

"I'm taking you out." Jace winks at me before leaving the kitchen.

I turn to Izzy, who chewing thoughtfully looking out of the door after Jace. Alec is busy on his phone, rapidly texting someone and I hope it is Magnus, he needs to tell people.

"What are you looking like that for?" I ask Izzy, snapping her eyes back to me.

Her face takes on a determined look, eyebrows together and lips pursed. "Excuse me," she says, and folows Jace out.

I look back to Alec, who is looking up at me, his phone abandoned on the table. Our eyebrows raise at the same time, and we simultaneously reach for a doughnut.

_**Jace**_

_~two hours later~_

Izzy had soon followed after me when I fled the kitchen, and began tugging at my sleeve repeatedly like a child until I listened to her. She had demanded that she accompany Clary and I on our date, stating that I 'was not to be trusted alone with Clary', and that she would not let her out of her sight.

I had complained of course, denying her request, but she had ignored me, simply turning and skipping out of the room, saying something about bringing Simon along with her.

So here I am, sitting in one of the best restaurants around - Taki's - with Simon next to me in the booth, and Clary opposite me, wedged in next to Izzy.

I have to say, Izzy didn't do a bad job when she had gone to get Clary ready. Her red hair fell in delicate ringlets around her face, her lips a light shade of pink and her copper eyelashes longer than Izzy's, and hers were most likely fake. A blue checked shirt, sleeves rolled up to her elbows, back jeans and black Chucks commenting her petite structure.

She is politely listening to whatever Simon is talking about, probably Manga, whilst Izzy stirs her coffee with a spoon, clearly bored of the conversation.

I notice Clary's eyes flicking back to me, and I can't help but grin back, rolling my eyes at Simons chattering.

"Simon," Izzy interrupts with a polite smile. "Could you go and get a waiter, please?"

Simon stops his talking, and smiles crookedly at Izzy. "Sure." He smiles at her before walking off to the counter.

Izzy looks back to us, although she seems to be talking to Clary. "I love him, but sometimes he just doesn't know when to shut up."

Clary nods her head in agreement. "Tell me about it, fifteen years of it and I'm surprised my head hasn't exploded."

"I know," Izzy continues. "And you know what he's talking about."

Clary is about to begin speaking again, but I catch Izzy's eyes, my expression clear to her: shut-up-and-let-me-talk-to-her, bright in my eyes.

"Well, you know what?" Izzy states, standings from the booth. "I'm going to the ladies room. Not you," she says when Clary begins to get up to join her. "You can wait."

Clary seems confused as she lowers back down into her seat, and I catch Izzy's wink as she walks away.

"Don't get me wrong," Clary whispers, leaning over the table to get closer. "But why are they with us?"

"Something about Izzy not trusting me, although I don't know where she gets that from."

"I truly have no idea," she says sarcastically but I with a smile. "But at least they're gone now."

"Yeah." I find myself looking at Clary, and the way her lips move when she speaks, clearly and carefully pronouncing every syllable. It's not until she snaps her fingers in front of my face that I actually notice she was speaking.

"Are you even listening to me? Because I don't think you are."

I avert my gaze from her lips to her eyes. "What? Sure, I was listening." She raises her eyebrows. "You were talking about...you were talking about...how Simon looks like a rat?"

Clary whacks my arm with a plastic menu that has been placed in front of her by a waitress that came and went without me noticing. I realise that Simon and Izzy haven't returned, and I like to think that they have left.

"No." Clary returns the menu to its place. "I said that you didn't have to take me out. I would have settled for Chinese takeout and a Disney film."

I grin at her, looking down at the menu in front of me. "No, I didn't _have_ to, but I _wanted_ to. Besides, Izzy and Alec are at home, and no doubt Simone would have eventually come round, and whoever Alec has been seeing."

"But Si and Izzy are here-" she turns her head but stops when she realise the dinner is devoid from her friends. "Well they were."

"Anyway," I say, looking back up, my voice brighter. "No other place does better Mu Shu pork than Taki's."

"Yes well I don't like Mu Shu pork."

I choke on my coke I am current drinking and look at Clary deadly in her eyes. "You don't like Mu Shu pork?" She shakes her head. "I don't think this relationship can work. You've hit me where it hurts, Clary." I place a hand over my heart in mock hurt and she laughs, her eyes sparkling.

A waitress arrives then, and her mass of blond hair and strangely bright blue eyes seem familiar to me, and I realise too late that it's Kaelie. We hooked up some time ago, but she had been clingy and didn't understand the term 'one night stand'.

"Jace!" There is false surprise in her sickly sweet voice as her eyes glaze over me. "Fancy seeing you here." Her eyes flick to Clary and seem to darken. "Oh," she says, distaste evident in her voice. "You."

Clary's eyes narrow, and it's all I can do is hope she doesn't recognise her.

"Kaelie," I say.

She gets her notebook out to take out orders and looks at me expectantly.

"I'll have the Mu Shu pork, with another coke."

She scribbles my order down before turning to Clary.

"Burger." Clary's voice is cold and hard as she regards Kaelie, staring her down. After several painful seconds Kaelie backs down with a discussed huff and walks off.

Slowly, I turn to face Clary. "You remember her?" I ask meekly.

"She was the one that called me a bitch and insulted my hair because she thought I had a crush on you. Which I didn't. So yes, I remember her."

The memory surfaces as if it were yesterday, Kaelie calling Clary's hair something along the lines of blood, calling her a bitch, and storming out. I vaguely remember Clary flicking her off when the door closed on her. "Yeah, I say shaking my head. "She was a mistake."

Clary snorts. "Yeah."

Our food is placed down in front of us, by someone who isn't Kaelie, my Mu Shu pork placed fajita style on my place still steaming, and Clary bugger surrounded by a lake of fries.

"Well," I say when none of us start eating. "Let's not wait for the grass to grow." I flash Clary a toothy grin as I pick up my fork and steal one of her fries.

**This chapter was really fun to write, and I could have gone on forever, but I decided to finish here so I would be able to update. Next chapter could take a few more days, but I will update as soon as the chapter is done. Maybe Magnus could come into next chapter? **

**Review? x**


	13. Chapter 13

**I am half asleep, but here I am, updating because I didn't want to leave you without an update seeing as it may take a while for the next one. I think this is the longest chapter yet, so yay. And if there is any mistakes I'm sorry. That's all for now, enjoy chapter 13 x**

**Wait, I realised I haven't done one of these yet, so here goes. I do not own the mortal instruments or any of the characters (unless they're my own) they all belong to Cassandra Clare.**

_**Alec**_

Having the apartment to myself does have its benefits. For example there was no Jace and his moaning and complaining that he didn't think Clary liked him, there was no Izzy to fear from for accidentally breaking or staining something, there was no Clary, not that there was anything wrong with her, and best of all, no one to stop Magnus from coming round.

He wasn't all too pleased when I told him I wasn't comfortable telling everyone straight away, but he understood and kept quite himself. When Izzy found out he was happier, and even more so when Clary found out, even if she did badly bruise his back.

Considering they went out over four hours ago, I figured it was safe to invite him over.

He was round in under five minutes, a small miracle seeing as he lives on the other side of the city, and didn't own a car.

He didn't waste a second before kissing me, backing be against a wall with his arms creating a sort of cage around me. The glitter in his hair got all over the carpet, and some stuck to the wall, and now it's all over the couch.

Above me, Magnus' hair is now almost glitter free, the majority of it on the couch around us and in my hair. My arms are around his neck, pulling him closer, and his elbows prop him up on either side of my head as our lips work together. Our legs tangle together, our chests press against one and other, and there isn't a single part of us not touching.

His jacket (leather and shiny) was long ago abandoned on the floor, along with my belt and our shoes, and a few cushions from the couch were down there as well.

I don't know how much time passes, only that now we are sitting up, Magnus against the back of the couch, and me next to him, still with my hands tangled in his hair, and the front door is opening, two voices filling the hall and doorway as they walk into the living room.

My eye open and behind Magnus' head I see Jace and Clary standing there in silence, Clary with a small smile on her face and Jace with a mixture of shock and something I can't place. I realise that I'm still pressed to Magnus, although neither of us are kissing any more, and decide to pull away.

Magnus turns his head to see what I'm looking at and his face breaks out in his dazzling smile, his teeth brighter than his personality - very - and he sticks his hand out over the couch.

"Hello," he says. "I don't believe we've met. I'm Magnus, Alexander's boyfriend."

I nearly face palm myself at his straightforwardness, but refrain to see Jace's reaction.

Jace takes Magnus' hand in his own and shakes it. "Hi. I'm Jace, Alec's friend." He then looks to me and motions for his hair. "You got some, err, glitter there, Alec."

My cheeks start to redden as I run my fingers through the hair, watching as glitter rains down around me. Jace grins at me before taking Clary's hand and leading her out of the room.

"Wow," I murmur as Magnus turns back to me. "He was extremely cavalier." But then again, why wouldn't he be? Jace and I had known each other forever, and if Izzy picked up on it, maybe he did as well. I feel Magnus' hand on my knee, and then once again his lips on mine.

_**Clary**_

If there was ever a moment when I hated my Mum, it was right now, when she is calling me up right in the middle of my Doctor Who movie marathon. I would have left it, but, knowing her, she would have call the police.

I pause my laptop, haul myself off the bed and grab my phone, pressing the answer button on the last ring.

"Oh, Clary dear. I thought you wouldn't pick up." She sounded her usual happy self, yet more excited than usual. She doesn't give me time to answer before continuing. "Now I know it's four o'clock, and this is very short notice, but I thought it would be a lovely idea for you to come round for dinner. You're father bought a lovely looking joint of beef the other day, and I thought it would be nice with some roast potatoes and gravy. What do you say?"

And now, of all times, Jace chooses to walk in to my room, without knocking, talking loudly about how he always wondered why Alec had never had a girlfriend or something, and only when he notices I'm on the phone does he shut up.

"Clary! Who's that? It sounded like a boy, is it a boy? Valentine! Clary has a boyfrie-"

"I do not!" I cut her off sharply before she can finish. "And for your information that was not a boy, in fact, there is no one here."

"Excuse me," Jace butts in, striding towards me. "First of all, I _am_ a boy. And second, I find it extremely rude that you do not acknowledge my presence even though I just took you out for a very fancy lunch at a very fancy diner."

My head drops into my spare hand and I internally groan, knowing what was going to come next.

"You went on a date? Oh Clary, you have to invite him over for dinner. You are coming, aren't you?"

To be honest, I wasn't planning on going. Returning to my Doctor Who marathon seemed much more appealing, but Jace and his big mouth has made it unavoidable.

"Of course I'm coming, mum."

"Oh great, be here in an hour?"

"Sure, sounds great. Bye, see you soon."

There is a series of 'bye's and 'Iove you's like there always is at the end of a phone call with your mum, and eventually she hangs up.

I turn on Jace as I drop my phone down on to my bed, and he seems to know what he has done by the small smirk on his face.

"Go and get changed," I tell him poking at his chest. "And look presentable, my dad isn't one to be messed with." He holds his hands up in surrender and I stop poking him. "And you're driving," I say after him as he walks out of my room.

When he is gone, a large sigh escapes my lips and I flop down onto my bed. I turn my head to the side and look glumly at my laptop, the Doctor and Clara paused constantly in a town called Christmas. I make a noise between a sob and moan and gently shut my laptop, closing my eyes as I do so. After a moment I get up and head out to find a decent outfit.

Forty-five minutes later Jace is holding the door open for me as we leave our apartment building and head to his car. The ride is silent, save for me giving him directions and telling him when to turn, and the growl of the engine as it pulls up in front of my parents' house.

I climb out, straightening my dress as I close the door, the emerald green colour shinning in the early evening light. Jace comes around to stand next to me, and shakes his head when he sees me.

"What?" I ask.

"You tell me to dress up and yet your where your Chuck Taylor's?"

"It's my parents' house, who have I got to impress?"

Jace grins again, and I can't help but appreciate how his suit jacket and dark jeans look good on him. He takes my hand as I lead him up the path and to the front door, and it is open before I knock.

My mother stands there, her eyes feverishly flicking between Jace to me to our entwined hands, and her smile slips her face in half.

When we reach the door she pulls me through the threshold, Jace as well, and wraps me in her arms. "Darling you look beautiful!" She exclaims, holding me at arm's length and kissing me on both cheeks before passing me off to the side and moving onto Jace.

"I'm Jace Montclair," he says polity. "You must be Mrs Morgenstern."

"Oh please, call me Jocelyn." He pulls Jace down into a hug much to his shock. "I thought Clary would never find a boyfriend, she hasn't gone out with anyone since she was eleven, and that was Simon."

"Mum!" I feel my face turn red with the embarrassment, and she soon releases him. I feel a hand on my shoulder and look behind me to see my father standing, observing Jace with a stern look on his face. He raises his eyebrows and a Jace immediately offers his hand. "Mr Morgenstern," he says as my father shakes his hand. "I'm Jace Montclair, Clary's...err..." His eyes flick down to me quickly and I nod my head slightly. "Boyfriend, I guess," he finishes.

"Boyfriend." My father's voice seems uncertain as he tries out the word. "We'll see about that."

I notice my mother give him a look, eyebrows raised and lips pursed, and my father clears his throat. "Now," he says, squeezing my shoulder. "If you don't mind, I need to head to my study, important business to take care of. Jace, don't try anything whilst in this house. Clare, you look lovely. Jocelyn, I'll be down soon." And with that he takes his leave up the stairs to the mystical study that I have never set foot in.

After he is gone, my mother clears her throat. "Well, I shall put dinner on. Jace, you like beef?" He nods. "Okay. Now, I hope you don't mind but I shall disappear into the kitchen. Clary, you can do whatever you like until dinner is ready, but the door must be open at all times. Do you understand?"

I nod, trying to keep from turning red.

"Clary," she warns, her voice taking on the tone of a strict mother.

"Yes, mum. I understand," I mumble, looking down and scuffing my shoe against the floor.

"Good." Jocelyn pats my arm and smiles warmly at us both before heading into the kitchen.

"Geez," I say turning back to Jace who is trying to keep from sniggering. "It's as if I never left. I'm sorry about my parents, I should have warned you."

Jace shakes his head once. "It's fine."

"So what do you want to do whilst dinner cooks?"

Jace shrugs. "Whatever you want to do."

I think of all of the rooms in the house, and only one with an ounce of privacy comes to mind. "Want to go to my room?" I instantly close my eyes when I realise what I said. "Oh my god it's like we're fifteen."

Jace agrees, and I take his hand again leading him up the stairs.

My room is exactly how it was before I moved out. The white double bed beneath the window, light wood flooring covered with a fluffy white rug, my dresser and vanity pushed against the far baby pink painted wall, and my shelf full of awards, trophies and pieces of art I got when I was younger.

Jace smiles as he looks around, taking everything in. I instantly blush when his eyes land on a photo of me when I was three, in nothing but a bikini on the beach in Florida, standing with a goofy grin on my face stating at the camera, my hair a crazy mass if red curls flying everywhere.

"Oh god," I mutter, hurriedly walking across the room and turning the frame around. When I turn back Jace is behind me, and his arms wrap around my waist, pulling me close. "I thought you looked adorable," he murmurs, and he is so close I have to crane my neck back to look him in the eye. "You still do." He leans down closer, his lips brushing against my forehead, and I close my eyes. My arms find their way around his waist, as his lips travel down to my own.

We stand there for a minute or two, our lips presses against each other's, until someone clears their throat in my door way.

My father is standing there, eyebrows drawn in and hands behind his back. "Being nineteen, Clarissa, is no excuse for this." His face is stern, but there is a hint of amusement in his voice, and I catch his wink before he walks off down the hallway.

I roll my eyes, still in Jace's arms, and turn back to him.

"Does your father scare everyone your bring home?" He asks, pressing his forehead down on mine.

"Of course, what kind of father would he be if he didn't? Simon nearly cried the first time he ment him, but then again, he was only four. But he can be a big meanie sometimes."

"A big meanie?" Jace asks, and I can hear the grin on his face.

I nod lightly, and bring my lips up to his softly. It's exactly how I imagined it, kissing a boy in my room. Only I never expected it to be Jace, and I expected it to happen sooner. But still, it's nice, and it even better that it is Jace.

We are called down to dinner, too soon in my opinion, but I lead Jace downstairs anyways, never letting go of his hand.

In the dining room, four places are set and a large roast beef sits in the centre. My mother is busy placing bowls of verge onto the table, and my father is at his large cabinet, selecting a bottle of wine.

I sit in my usual spot, and Jace opposite me, and eventually my mother sites next to me, leaving the seat next to Jace for my father. Valentine walks slowly back over to the table, a bottle of wine in his arms, and he takes the empty seat, placing the bottle in the middle of the table.

"Red Bordeaux, 1971," he says, looking at the bottle as if it's his prized possession. "An excellent year."

I allow my mother to cut the beef or whatever you do to it, and she places some on my plate, seeing as I've never been an expert at tidy dining, and I stick my tongue out at Jace as he smirks at me.

After everyone has helped themselves to everything on the table my father opens the wine bottle with a pop. He turns to Jace and offers the bottle.

"I better not, I'm driving," Jace says.

"Very wise, Jace. You're doing well on first impressions."

Jace grins as if he's a child that has just been awarded a gold star for excellent work and I can't help but roll my eyes.

I take the wine when offered and ignore the chiding look my father gives me, and fill my glass to the brim.

I take a sip of the sour tasting drink and scrunch my face up as I swallow, but take another straight after.

As soon as we start eating the questions begin, all fired at Jace, and all by my mother.

"How old are you?"

"Where do you go to college?"

"How long have you known Clary?"

"Wow that's a long time. Clary, why did you never tell me about Jace before?"

"What are your parents like?"

That question stops conversation.

Jace swallows before answering. "My mother, Celine, died when I was young, and I haven't seen my father in ages." His voice is low when he speaks, and I feel inclined to do something, but I don't know what. His eyes seem sad, so I nudge his let under the table with my foot and he smiles up at me.

"Oh," my mother begins, at loss for words. "I'm sorry, Jace, I shouldn't have pride."

"Hasn't stopped your before," I hear my father mutter under his breath and a burst of laughter escapes me before I can stop it. I slap my hand over my mouth, and just shake my head when my mother asks what's wrong. My father sends me a small smile and I grin back.

"So you two live together?" My mother asks, and I feel the awkwardness descending like a blanket already.

I nod, but quickly add "along with Izzy and Alec."

"Hmm, well, just remember what I said a while ago." I look at her confused. "If you get pregnant I ain''t helping."

Jace almost spews out his mouthful of water he is drinking, and his eyes almost pop out of his head. "Oh-oh no, Mrs Morgenstern, no I wouldn't-I haven't-we haven't-"

"Jace," I say without looking at him, cutting him off. "Shh."

"Although if you did get pregnant I guess it wouldn't be so bad-"

"Mum, I'm not pregnant. Can we have desert now?" I ask to change the subject.

She nods and starts to clear the table, rejecting any help when offered, and makes her way into the kitchen, taking every plays with her.

I groan and hold my head in my hands, leaning my elbows on the table. Could this night get any worse? Probably not. My mother has already exhausted all options. I'm surprised she hasn't brought out the embarrassing stories yet, I mean she has known him for nearly three hours, usually she can't last this long.

"Clarissa." I look up at my father. "Elbows of the table, please."

"Dad," I moan, leaning back in my chair. "I'm not six."

"Sit up straight." Is his response.

I roll my eyes but to as he says, scowling at Jace as he refrains from laughing.

Desert comes and goes, and before I know it we are saying goodbye at the door. Hugs are exchanged and promises are made to visit soon, and Jace and I are walking back down the path, his arms around my waist to keep me from tripping in the dark as those last two glasses of wine take their toll.

My mother shouts something about baby pictures next time, and I struggle to walk faster, pulling Jace to his car.

He opens the door for me and I climb in. Both my parents are standing at the door to their house waving, and I wave back as Jace starts the engine.

Before Jace can set off, however, I see someone pull up on the opposite side if the road in a large, white car. A man gets out, a head full of blond hair, much like Jace's, and walks across the road, up the path, and stops in front of my parents.

Through the window I watch as my mother's expression changes from confusion to recognition, and wonder who the man is. I don't remember ever seeing him before, but my parents seem to know him. I turn to Jace to see that he is no longer in the car, but following the man up the path.

I get out and head after him, slamming the door after me. Determination is set in Jace's back as he reaches the man, and I quicken my step as to not miss anything.

"Hey," I say reaching out and placing a hand on his shoulder. "What's..." I trail off speaking as I notice the resemblance between Jace and the strange man. Both with the same tall, built frame, both with shaggy golden hair, and both with the same facial structure around the jaw. The only thing different are the eye.

The man stares at Jace, whatever he was going to say to my parents forgotten. "Jonathan?" He asks. "What are you doing here?"

"Jace," I start to ask, but he places a hand blindly on my upper arm, slinging me.

"I could ask you the same thing," he says coldly. "Dad."

**Ooh, Jace's father. I wonder what he is here for? Was this chapter okay? Was it bad? Leave a review telling me what you think.**

**And are you guys getting ready for the big plot twist? Its gonna happen soon so get ready!**

**Once again, review? x**


	14. Chapter 14

**So some people have been asking why Jace's last name was Montclair, and it's because he took his mother's maiden name, I think I covered it in chapter seven or something. But anyway, now that we have that cleared up, here's chapter 14 x**

**Disclaimer – Cassandra Clare owns all the characters but the plot is mine so I guess that's a pluss.**

_**Clary**_

My mother's face pales visibly, though I'm not sure why, and she reaches across to take my wrist gently in hers. "Clary, come on," she gently coaxes, but I do not move. I'm too busy looking from Jace to this man, his father, and wondering why he is at my parent's house. "Come on, honey. Let's go inside." I allow her to pull me inside, though my eyes do not leave Jace, and her arms wrap around my shoulders as she takes me to the couch.

"Why is Jace's dad here?" I finally ask when my father appears. "I thought Jace didn't like his dad?"

My mother sighs. "Stephan is an old family friend." Her eyes flick to her husbands. "Although I don't know why he is here, we haven't spoken in a while."

"Clarissa." My father's voice is deep and loud when he speaks, and I slowly turn my head to look at him. "I don't want you seeing that boy anymore, he's bad news."

"What?" I ask my voice with an edge to it. "Bad news? How is Jace bad news? Yeah, he's stupid sometimes, but I really like him." I am stood up by now, angered by my father's comment. Who was he to tell me who I couldn't see? I am nineteen; I can't do what I want.

"I don't want you seeing him," he repeats. "And that's final. If I find out that you are still with him by next week, you'll regret it. You'll only get hurt."

My mother starts to protest but I cut her off. "Fuck you!" I yell, storming past him. "You can't tell me what to do, I'm not a child! Jace won't hurt me."

I feel Jace's hands on my back as he appears behind me and look up at him. Stephan is still standing outside, observing his son.

"Jace is _perfect_!" I say my voice still angry as I glare at my father. "I don't care what you think." I turn and grab Jace's hand. "Come on, Jace. We're leaving."

He lets me led him towards the door, past his father and down the steps to his car. When I turn back no one is stood by the door, Stephan having gone inside, but I see the outline of my mother standing by the window, and I keep looking at her until we turn the corner.

.o.O.o.

"Care to tell me what that was all about?" Jace asks to break the silence that has descended over the car.

"Not really," I murmur quietly, my head against the window watching the blur of the streetlights fly past.

"Why did you yell at your parents? Did they say something?" His voice is soft, and so is his face as I look at him.

"My dad told me not to see you anymore, so I got mad."

"He did, did he?" Jace pulls up outside our apartment building and cuts of the engine. "I don't know why my father was there," he says, turning to face me. "So, do you want to forget about it? Because I certainly do."

I nod my head and pull the door handle, pushing the car door open. Jace meets me as I close my door and looks down at me, eyebrows raised.

"What?" I ask.

"Nothing," he says shaking his head. "It's late and I'm tired, let's go inside."

Turns out it _is_ late - we had been at my parents longer than I thought - and Jace _is_ tired because he heads straight to _my_ room and flops down on _my_ bed, sighing as he buries his face in my pillows.

"Why?" I ask coming to a stop at my doorway and watching him. "What are you doing?"

"Where else am I meant to go?" He says, his voice muffled by the pillows. "I can't go to my room; Alec is probably in there with Magnus."

"What about Izzy's room?"

"Eew, no."

"The couch?"

"You go to the couch."

"It's my bed!"

"Well get in then." Jace scoots himself over to the other side of my bed, the side pressed against the wall, and pulls the duvet back patting the space beside him.

"You're not even going to get changed?" I ask. Jace sighs and yanks his jacket and shirt off his body, but I stop him as his hands travel to his jean button. "That's enough. Turn around."

I head over to my dresser, pulling my shoes off as I go, and drop the dress to the floor. I find a faded red band shirt and a pair of black pyjama shorts and pull them in before heading back over to my bed and climb in. Jace drapes the blanket over us as I settle in. "You didn't turn around, did you?" I ask as I turn to snuggle deeper in the bed. I sense Jace's grin and lightly smack his arm. My leg scraps against Jace's, and the hard material of his jeans feels horrible. "Okay, I take it back," I say. "Take your jeans off."

"I knew you wouldn't be able to resist for long." I open one eye to look at him and he is smirking down at me, but he wiggles out of his jeans anyway. "To be honest, you've lasted the longest anyone ever has."

I scrunch my eyes back up. "Ew ew gross no," I shudder to myself.

Jace chuckles, and as I roll over to find my face merely centimetres from his chest, I realise that I am in bed with Jace, who is only wearing boxers. _Okayyy...just roll with it, Clary_.

One of Jace's arms wraps around my back and a content sigh escapes me before I can stop it.

"Goodnight, Clary," Jace murmurs and I feel his breath on my head.

"Night, Jace."

I fall asleep with my head pressed to his chest listening to the beating of his heart and the steady rise and fall of his chest.

.o.O.o.

When I wake up the other side of the bed is empty and cold. The blankets are wrapped around me tightly and one of my pillows is on the floor. I check around the room, looking for Jace, and see the door cracked open, and voices pouring through.

My eyes wander to the clock and I realise I have woken before my alarm despite the late night yesterday.

I stretch my arms and legs out like a cat, my back arching, and sigh as my muscles come to life. Struggling out of the maze of quilts I throw my dressing gown around my and walk out into the hallway, trying the cords around my waist as I go.

There is the sound of raining water and bad singing coming from the closed bathroom door at the end of the hallway and I can only assume that's where Jace is, no one else sings that badly, and no one else would sing Britney Spears _Toxic_.

I follow the sound of voices to the kitchen and find Izzy and Magnus sitting around the small table, Alec standing by the oven, the sound of sizzling coming from the pan in his hand.

The guys are dressed, Alec in his usual old jeans and jumper, Magnus in shiny purple pants and a silver shirt. Izzy is still in her pyjamas, pink and fluffy, with her hair tied up in a bobble. Magus and Izzy are talking about some kind of fashion designer, Magnus using crazy hand gestures to emphasize his point, and I realise why Alec opted for cooking seeing as soon as I sit down I almost get hit in the head as Magnus expresses something.

"Good morning," I say when his hands lower back down to the table.

"Oh, hey Clary," Izzy greets.

"You're the one that whacked me with a vase, aren't you?" Magnus asks, his voice not holding one ounce of anger or loathing.

"Oh, err." I scratch behind my ear. "I guess I was. Sorry about that."

Magnus waves off my apology saying he's had worse, and I can only wonder what.

Alec appears then, balancing three plates of bacon. He sets one down for Izzy, the other for Magnus, and keeps the other in his hand until he sees me. "Clary," he says. "Do you want some bacon, there's some left?"

"I'm alright, I'll get some later. Do you want to sit down?"

Alec shakes his head. "It's okay; I'll eat it in there." He gestures with his heat to the living room. "Come on, Magnus."

Magnus picks his place up and turns back to Izzy before Alec can take him off. "This conversation isn't over, and we _will_ go shopping some time."

He is gone before Izzy replies, and when the door closes after them I look cautiously at Izzy.

"What?" She asks, biting into a piece of bacon.

"Where did you and Simon go yesterday? You just disappeared."

Izzy looks down as a small smile spreads onto her face. "Well, the only reason I got up was to give you and Jace some alone time, but then Simon showed his face again, and then we started kissing, and then we went back to his place because Jordan was out with Maia, and then….I think you can figure out the rest."

I make a face at the thought of Izzy and Simon..._together_, and am grossed out.

"Anyway, what about you and Jace. Did you two...you know, _have fun_?" She wiggles her eyebrows.

"If by 'have fun' you mean have sex, then no, we didn't."

Izzy raises her eyebrows. "Oh really? Then why did I see him coming out of your room this morning, hmm? Explain that."

"Well he just sort of flopped down on my bed and refused to move. So what was I meant to do? Sleep on the couch? I think not."

Izzy is quite for a moment, then "so you slept together, but you didn't actually sleep together?"

"No. Of course not."

"Even though Jace was only wearing boxers?"

"Yes, even though he was only wearing boxers."

"Even though you both really like each other?"

Honestly, would she ever give up?

"Yes, even though we both like each other."

"Even though you really _want_ to have sex with him, you're just too shy to admit it?"

"Yes, even though-hey!" My cheeks flame red as I stare at Izzy. "How do you know I want to have sex with Jace?"

Izzy's face light up. "Ha! So you admit it? You _do_ want to have sex with Jace!"

"Who wants to have sex with me?" Jace asks as he walks into the kitchen, shirtless, wet hair, and barefooted, his chest shining with the remaining water still clinging to him.

"Clary," Izzy says as if it wasn't the most mortifying thing in the world. "You can tell by the way she's staring at your chest, and the drool."

I snap my eyes away from him instantly and glare at Izzy, my cheeks and ears growing red, and drop my head in my hands. "No I don't," I mutter lamely.

"Should've joined me in the shower," he says striding past me to the fruit bowl. He selects an apple and takes a bite.

"I'm going to get dressed," I mumble, standing up. "Put a shirt on," I say. "It's distracting," I add to myself quietly.

But not quietly enough, it seems, as Jace says, "I did it for you." I scowl and flip him off but it doesn't faze him. "Love you, too!" He calls, and I smile as I round the corner.

**I need another Clace kiss… Ah, well, next chapter I'll try to fit one in. How was this chapter? Tell me in a review x**


	15. Chapter 15

**I'm sorry I haven't updated in a few days, but I'm back now so that's good I guess. There's an important AN at the bottom, so if you could do me a favour and read it when you've read the chapter, that would be great. Here's chapter 15, enjoy x**

_**Clary**_

"Are you working tonight?" Jace asks as we pull into the student parking lot. He voluntarily gave us, meaning Izzy and I, a lift today seeing as he had classes at the same time as us today. Much to Izzy's distaste, I got to sit in the front whilst she got crammed in the back seat again.

I nod. "Yeah. Two till six."

Jace pouts, and he looks adorable with his lip sticking out, and I want nothing more than to reach forward and take it between my teeth, so I do. The brake handle sticks awkwardly into my side but I ignore it, concentrating on Jace instead. He pulls away long enough to mumble against my lips, "can I come with you?"

"If you promise to behave," I answer, staring into his golden eyes.

"I'm afraid I don't make promises I can't keep." His voice is suggestive as he plants his lips on mine again, and I push myself further towards him, the top half of my body no longer in my seat as I wrap my arms around his neck.

We wouldn't have stopped if it wasn't for Izzy kicking on the back of my seat, throwing me off balance and back into the leather seat.

"Guys!" She exclaims. "You do realise that I am still here, and you practically having sex in the front seat is preventing me from leaving. If you _don't _mind."

Jace shoots a glare at her. "If you kick my seat again we will have sex in the front seat."

"Ew, no we won't, there are people outside," I interject before I realise that he wasn't actually being serious. "Carry on," I say quickly, pushing a strand of hair behind my ear.

"Well let me out of the car then."

Jace sighs and get out of his car, pushes his seat forward and Izzy climbs out. I grab my bag and get out of the car as he closes his door and meets me at my side.

"Bye, Clary, see you later," Izzy says as she walks off. I watch as she waves to a girl, Aline Penhallow, and quickens her pace.

I feel Jace take my hand and I squeeze his in return. "What class have you got first?" He asks.

"English Lit." I look up at him. "You?"

"Film studies."

I raise my eyebrows. _Film studies, interesting_.

"Come on, I'll walk you to class."

We start walking but I steer him in a different direction than my class. "Where are we going?" He asks.

"To get my coffee from Simon. He gets me one every morning seeing as I can't set foot in Java Lava because someone got me banned from there."

Jace groans. "How many times do I have to tell you, that wasn't my fault. The bath was faulty."

I giggle at the complaining tone Jace takes on. "Sure it was."

.o.O.o.

I'm not exactly sure where time went, and I don't remember learning anything in any of my classes, but before I know it I'm at work, with Jace who had insisted in coming along with me with the promise of keeping out of the way.

There have been no new requests for paintings so Daniel assigns me the painfully boring task of cleaning up after one of the children's classes the gallery holds on certain days. He soon disappeared back into his office, and Jace wasted no time after the door was closed to start, in other words, bitching about him.

"Oh, god. How do you work for him?" He complains as he sits back on a desk. "He's so annoying. 'Oh, Clary,'" he mimics Daniel. "'I'm so fabulous because I'm the manager of an art gallery. Oh, I do painting and drawing and I'm so amazing because my hair is only a few shades away from being orange.'"

"Hey," I scold from across the room whilst washing up a paint pallet full of dry blue paint. "There's nothing wrong with having orange hair. Now, you insisted on coming with me, so help me clean up."

Jace sighs. "I was hoping we could just, you know, make out a bit instead."

A small smile plays on my lips. "Really?"

"Yeah," Jace whines.

"Well then," I slowly turn around, my hands behind my back holding a large bottle of red paint. "Why didn't you say so?"

I slowly make my way over to Jace, who has pushed himself of the table he was sitting on. He meets me in the middle of the large room and stops directly in front of me, and I tilt my head back, my lips brushing his lightly, a feather's touch.

As Jace bends down towards me, I slowly bring my arms from behind my back, a smirk dancing on my lips. "Jace," I whisper, and as he pulls back I squirt the bottle at his face, laughing crazily all the while and run away to the other side of the room as he tries to gather what just happened.

Red paint splatters the floor as he wipes it from his eyes, and I laugh at the expression his face has when he looks at me. Pure confusion. _All I wanted to do was kiss it says_, but soon turns into _Oh, it's on._

He races to the counter and grabs the nearest bottle of paint, blue, and turns back to me, a devilish look in his eyes.

We stand for a moment in stillness as we size each other up, and then before I have chance to act I have a face full of blue pains, in my hair matting it together, and all over my clothes. A burst of laughter erupts out of me as I spray him back, and soon a full on pain war breaks out.

Multi-coloured paints splatter over the floor, the chairs, each other. I slip on a patch of yellow, and get paint all over the bottoms of my jeans, causing Jace to laugh and cover me in more paint.

Eventually, each of us covered in at least two bottles of paint each, we are stopped as the door is opened. Daniel walks in, but stops mid step when he sees the pair of us. I stand next to Jace in the centre of the room, blue and orange paint covering me, red and yellow covering Jace, and four empty bottles at our feet.

"What in the name of hell happened in here?" Daniel asks as if he is a parent scolding two children. "Clary? Care to explain?"

I swallow under his hard gaze. "Urm...I'll buy new paint."

"You've got that right!" He yells, and I flinch at the harshness in his voice. "You have such potential, Clary. That painting you did for the bookstore, amazing, yet you throw it all away!"

"Hey." Jace steps forward, not allowing the fact that he is getting yelled at whilst covered in paint to diminish him. "Back of, it wasn't her fault."

"Jace." My voice is small as I step forwards. "Look, I'm sorry, okay?" I say to Daniel. "I don't know what I was thinking, and it was stupid. Take the cost of the paint out of my pay check or something, and I understand if you don't want me working here anymore-"

"I never said that," Daniel interrupts. "But one more slip up like this, and I will have to let you go. Now go home, take your boyfriend with you, and come back tomorrow differently."

I keep my head down low as I walk past him, avoiding his eyes, but I can tell that Jace's ego is too big to back down as he walks after me, starring Daniel down the entire time.

When we get outside people stare at us, some smile, others frown. As Jace comes to a stop beside me a small snigger escapes him, and soon we are both in fits of laughter, clutching our stomachs as we lean against the building. "You know," Jace says as he tries to regain his breath. "If you weren't you, I would be extremely angry right now."

"Lucky for you," I say. "I am me, and right now, I am extremely glad you are you."

Jace seems confused, and is about to say something, but I cut him off my pressing my lips to his, the paints on our lips mixing together.

**So important AN time. In the past few days' two new fanfic ideas have come to me that I am thinking of writing when this one is through. One is another TMI idea, and another is Frozen. So I have the summaries ready and a small sneak peak of part of the story that will hopefully give you a good taste. I would really appreciate if you mentioned in a review which, if any, story you would prefer x. Would appreciate it if you didn't, you know, steal my story ideas, cos that would be really mean. **

**Story one (doesn't have a name yet): Years after the war that split the world in two, things have never been the same. Society is no longer, moral is invalid, Clarissa Fairchild knows no different. No one notices when she disappears in the dead of night, and no one will, because where she has been taken she no longer exists.**

**Sneak peak: When you lived in a place like this as long as Clary had, you learnt to pick up the smaller pieces – the empty bullet shells on the ground, the upturned red child's tricycle, the lack of a rider around – that piece together to make the bigger picture, the one that mattered: life takes pity on no one, not even the innocent.**

**Story Two, Skinny Love (title may change): It was painfully obvious that they liked each other. That was, to everyone but themselves. (Elsanna)**

**Sneak peak: Anna couldn't help it, she was captivated by the girl in front of her. Her thick, blonde hair woven into a messy braid that fell over one shoulder, ice blue eyes standing out against her pale, flawless skin, and her lips, light pink today, shiny and full. But Anna had seen all this before, she did live across the hall from her after all. And no matter how many times Kristoff said it, looking out of her peephole at twenty to eight in the morning just to catch a glimpse of this girl was **_**not **_**stalking. It wasn't.**

**Please tell me which one you would like to see xxx**

**Review? x**


	16. Chapter 16

**All the reviews I am getting are making me so happy! Thank you all so much, I love you all! Here's chapter 16, enjoy x**

_**Clary**_

When Jace and I walk through the front door twenty minutes later - we had to walk, he wouldn't let us in his car - the paint has dried, smudged around our lips, and the laughter had died down as we realised just how uncomfortable dried paint is.

"What in the name of the Angel happened to you?" Izzy exclaims, striding into the hallway.

"We, er, found some paint," Jace says with a small smile.

Izzy feigns shock. "You found paint at an art gallery? Well I never." The sarcasm in her voice is at an all-time high. "Both of you go and get cleaned up. And don't get paint on my walls."

Someone calls from the living room. "Izzy, they're our walls." It sounds like Alec.

Izzy huffs but points down the hallway to the bathroom door. "Clean up. Now."

"There's only one shower," I argue.

"I'm sure you can figure something out." Izzy's voice is suggestive as she turns and heads back into the living room.

I bite my lip and look up at Jace. I love the guy, but I don't think shower sex is quite on my mind yet.

Jace sighs but with a small smile. "Go on," he says, nodding towards the bathroom. "I'll just wait."

I start to head towards the bathroom, but stop as a thought crosses my mind. No one said anything about sex. And who said underwear has to come off? I turn back to Jace and regard him with my head tilted to the side. He mimics my position.

"Oh, fuck it," I mutter grabbing Jace's hand and pulling his to the bathroom.

Two piles of clothes lie on the floor in the corner, steam filling the bathroom and fogging up the mirror, the door locked.

Jace and I stand under the shower water in our underwear - and socks, in Jace's case...something to do with feet or something - and the first thing I feel self-conscious about is my mismatching purple bra and superwoman panties. Jace seems unfazed by it though, probably seeing as his SpongeBob boxers don't exactly say much for him.

He agreed as soon as I said it with the underwear rule, and wasted no time to strip down, me following.

We stand facing each other as hot water streams down our bodies, neither saying nor doing anything. Just watching each other. His hair clings to his head, and rivulets of water stream down his golden chest.

No paint remains on us, it was all washed off ten minutes ago but neither of us had made a move to get out.

"Clary?" Jace says cutting through the silence. I look up at him. "You're staring."

"Yeah well, so are you," I counter placing my hands on my hips.

"Who can blame me?" He asks, stepping forward and placing his hands over mine still on my hips. His hands completely cover mine, his fingers brushing my back and goose bumps raise under his bare touch. He seems to notice because he steps closer again, his arms wrapping around my waist and pulling me close. My toes touch his squelchy socks and I giggle.

"What's so funny?" He asks looking down at me smiling.

"I've never known anyone to wear socks in the shower before."

"I've never known anyone to wear a purple bra and superwoman underwear before."

"Fair point." I reach up and kiss him lightly on the lips as someone knocks on the bathroom door.

"You know," Izzy calls through the door. "The rest of us need to use the bathroom too. There's a perfectly good bed in the other rooms that'll suit your needs."

My face goes red as I look at Jace. "We should get out."

He agrees and turns the water off. I step out first, wrapping a towel around myself, ignoring the gross feeling that comes with wet underwear, and shake my hair out. Jace follows, wrapping the other towel around his waist, running his fingers through his hair.

Once again, I have brought no clean clothes with me into the bathroom, and a towel is all I have. "Do you think it's clear to get to my room?" I ask Jace.

He shrugs. "I don't know, but my rooms closer. Probably safest to take shelter in there."

I roll my eyes at the stupid smile on his face but agree, hoping that Alec or Magnus aren't in there.

I swiftly follow Jace into his empty room, and close the door behind me. Jace's side of the room is complexly tidy, nothing on the floor, the bed perfectly made, which is a surprise recounting all the times I found his underwear somewhere in the halls.

He walks over to his dresser and tosses me a shirt. "It's clean, don't worry," he assures me as he fishes around for one for himself.

As I pull the shirt over my head, dropping the towel, I notice a small black swirl on Jace's left shoulder, curving up his neck and down his arm.

"You have a tattoo," I say walking closer to him. I place my fingers lightly on it, tracing it's complex twisting lines.

Jace shivers. "It's a rune," he tells me. "There are a whole lot of them. They come from some old family history from my mother's side. This one means Courage."

"Courage for what?" I ask quietly, fingers still tracing over and over again.

Jace shrugs lightly before throwing a shirt over his head, cutting of my hand. "Courage for everything."

I decide to drop the conversation topic. "I'm going to go and, you know, get dressed."

Jace nods as I walk out, his shirt falling down to my knees, and down the hall to my own room.

Once inside with the door closed I take Jace's shirt off, peel off my bra and panties, but on a clean pair, and throw Jace's shirt back on, along with some old leggings, and flop down onto my bed, racking my brains for something to do. I have no class work to catch up on, no new work project, no dates arranged.

My eyes drift over to my closet, and mentally look through the door, under the sheet and find my painting that I still have to finish off.

I open the closet and get the painting out, placing it on the easel before taking the sheet off. I haven't looked at this for a while now, and I forgot how close I was to finishing it. Only small details now, like the couples hair and clothing, and a few leaves scattered around them.

I pull out my paint box from under my bed and flip the latches open, rooting around to get some pots out.

When I find the colours and brushes I need I get to work on the canvas, after standing my iPod in my docking satiation and blaring out some Imagine Dragons, ignoring Izzy's muttering complaints from across the hall in her room.

Half the soundtrack later I find there is nothing left to add, and take a step back to examine my work.

It's all good, and then my eyes come to rest on the couple standing in the centre of the painting. The girl, a head shorter than the guy, has bright red hair, much like mine, and they guy is blond, golden blond. Like Jace. I have painted Jace and I, and it kind of works.

**So I was going to make them have shower sex but one) I don't think their relationship is at that stage yet and two) I am really bad at writing sex scenes, I have never done one before. It would just be awkward and strange... Unless you guys wanted a sort of lemon scene? I guess I could manage one…? Leave a review x**


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter 17, enjoy x**

_**Clary**_

The week went rather slowly. Classes came and went, many coffees were drunk, and the only thing that made it bearable was Jace. He met me outside of each of my classes, and on his days off he dropped me off and picked me up. No work was set and no art projects were due in, and all in all, it was a pretty boring week.

That was until tonight, when there is an unexpected knock at our door and ten past six on a Friday night, and Alec opens it to reveal my father standing there, a stern look on his face.

"Clary?" Alec calls uncertainly and I come out of the living room. "Your dads here." He sounds as confused as I feel, my parents never come round unless it's serious, like that time my Aunt Clara died. And that was just a brief visit_. Oh hi Clary, remember your aunt Clara? Well she's dead. We have to go now, bye_. To be honest, I didn't even know I _had_ an Aunt Clara.

"Clarissa," my father says stepping into the apartment. "I really must have a word with you."

I narrow my eyes. "Whatever it is, it wasn't me."

Valentine smiles tightly. "You're not in trouble. Yet."

I glance to Alec for help, but he just scuttles off back to his room. The bang of his door closing is swiftly followed by another: Izzy's_. Bloody traitors_.

"May I have a word with you in private?" He asks.

I look around the empty apartment, _isn't this private_? I shrug and lead him to my room, hoping he doesn't comment on the mess. He does.

"Honestly, Clary," he sighs as I close the door behind him. "It's worse than when you were ten."

My painting is still on its easel, of Jace and I, and my father regards is blankly.

"What's this about?" I ask, discreetly nudging a plate full of half eaten pizza under my wardrobe where he won't be able to see it.

"It's about Jace," he says, taking a seat on my bed, and my fists automatically start to clench.

"What about him?" I ask bitterly, crossing my arms over my chest.

"You know what. I specifically told you last week I wanted to have nothing to do with him, but judging by that painting, I'd say you two were still together." He is only a few centimetres shorter than me whist sitting, so he doesn't need to stand for his glare to make an impact.

"I'm not going to break up with him just because you don't like him."

Valentine closes his eyes and lets out a slow breath from his nose. "It's not the boy I don't like, Clary."

"Well his dad then, you were fine with him up until Steven or whatever the hell his name is showed up."

"His name is Stephan, and yes, it is him I have the problem with."

"So why do I need to break up with Jace?" My voice takes on that of a young child throwing a tantrum. "It's not his fault you don't like his dad."

My father stands up. "I'm doing this for your own good, Clary. That boy will cause you nothing but trouble and hurt in the future and I will not let that happen."

"How do you know? You don't know what Jace is like. You've only met him once."

"Clarissa-"

"No. You can't expect me to stop loving him just because you say so. You don't even have a reason as to why you are saying this; you're just saying it because you can!" My fists are clenched so hard my fingernails are digging into my palms almost painfully.

"Stephan Herondale has caused nothing but trouble to my family and I'll be damned if I let his bastard of a son waltz in a steal my daughter from me! I won't allow it! The Herondale's are a nasty piece of work and I will not let them plague my family any longer, Clarissa!" My father is yelling now, and the harshness in his voice starts to scare me. "Don't you _dare_ think I am doing this all for me, this is all for you! It always has been for you! You are my world and have been since the day you were born. If it weren't for you your mother and I would most likely not be together anymore. _Don't you understand_?!" He bellows making me flinch. Both our eyes are watering by this stage but he doesn't back down. "You're the reason I stayed with Jocelyn, and you're the reason I could love her again after what she did to me. Clary, I don't want to see you get hurt, and I can _promise you_, wherever a Herondale is concerned in your life, you will get hurt. You are the best thing that has happened to me, and I would kill me if something happened to you that it could have prevented."

A deafening silence follows, warping around the room and not stopping until the only sound is the thud of my heart in my ears and my uneven breathing.

"I don't understand," I whisper, my voice croaky with unshed tears. "What did Jace's dad do? What did mum do? Why does that affect me and Jace?_ I don't understand_." My voice remains quiet, barley audible, but my father hears.

"I didn't expect you would." His voice is hard again. "I told your mother just as much." He steps past me and opens my door, walking out into the hallway leaving me staring at the floor in my room.

"Look," he says, softer this time, and I turn my head to look at him. "I didn't mean to shout, I'm sorry. But please, Clary, _try_." He doesn't say anything else, just sharply turns and heads out of the front door. I watch, my bottom lip wobbling and eyes pooling, as it closes behind him.

As the lock clicks back into place Izzy's head pops out of her door, looking up and down until her eyes land on me. Her eyes look sympathetic and she steps further out towards me, arms open, but I turn away, locking myself back in my room as the tears begin to fall down my cheeks.

My father has never raised his voice like that before, and he said some stuff I have never heard him say before, like how much I mean to him. And then that thing about mum, what could she have possibly done? They both love each other, always have, always will. Or at least that's how it is in my book. And Stephan Herondale, how does he fit into all of this?

It is a lot of information to have yelled at you in the space if fifteen minutes, not even given the chance to ask questions or take it all in.

I bury my face in my pillows, my hands clutching it to my face. I feel Jace's shirt under my pillow and pull it out, taking comfort in its smell of Jace still clinging to it.

It ends up stained with years before there is a knock on my door. I mumble a 'go away' but the voice that belongs to the knocker makes me stop.

"Clary?" Jace asks, his voice full of concern even through the wood. "What happened? I bumped into your dad in the lobby, he gave me the evils. Did I miss something? Are you okay?" He knocks again. "Let me in, Clary."

I don't make a move to get up, but it turns out I don't have to because Jace manages to get in anyway.

His eyes land instantly on me, curled up in bed with his shirt clutched to my face, tear streaks down my face and my eyes red and puffy.

"Oh, Clary," he mumbles walking over to me. He climbs on the bed with me wrapping his arms around my shoulders. I ditch the shirt for the real thing, clutching his jacket close to me, my fingers digging into his firm chest. He smells like fancy aftershave and man.

"Hey," he rubs my back soothingly as I press my head to his chest, trying to stop the tears. "Don't cry."

I manage to stop crying eventually and take my head away from Jace's chest.

"That's better," he says smiling as I tilt my head up to look him in the eye. "Izzy told me what happened. Apparently she heard it all."

"I wouldn't be surprised if the whole street heard it." I laugh humorously. "But I just don't know why he got all upset about it. Why does he think you're a danger? The only thing dangerous about you is your huge ego."

Jace chuckles and I feel it in his chest.

"My ego deserves to me huge, I mean look at me." I laugh at him, swatting his chest with my hand. "Anyway, my huge and deserving ego aside. Are you okay?" Concern laces his voice as he looks me in the eye.

I nod weakly. "Yeah," I sniff.

Jace cocks an eyebrow.

"Really," I assure him, and press a kiss to his lips. "I promise."

Jace looks down at me; his eyes hooded and smirk on his lips. "I don't believe you," he says, nudging the top of my nose his.

A small smile pulls at my lips as I press them to Jace's again, this time for longer, my hand coming up to cup his face. "Do you believe me now?" I ask again his lips lightly, my breath rebounding of his lips.

"I'm not quite sure," he mutters, leaning up on his elbows on top of me. He lowers his lips down to mine, and my mouth opens under the pressure. He angles his head perfectly with mine, his lips never breaking contact. His tongue explores my mouth passionately and mine his. I weave my hands in his hair tugging him further down on me. My fingers drag down, along his neck and over his brown leather jacket, down to the waistband of his jeans. His own fingers trace down my own body, down my ribs and over my waist, fingering the hem of my shirt.

Somewhere along the way his jacket comes off, weather I took it off or him, but it ends up on the floor, along with his shoes, and his white shirt is riding up his back, my fingers tracing along his spine. Jace's fingers play with the hem of my jeans, occasionally dipping down and teasing the edge of my underwear. I moan into his mouth as his fingers trace over to my jean button, but he hesitates to undo it.

"What are you doing?" I murmur against his cheek.

"Are you sure?" He asks, his breath tickling my ear. "We don't have to if you're not ready."

"For fucks sake, just do it already," I groan, thrusting my hips forward.

Within seconds both mine and Jace's jeans are undone and partway down our legs, his lips tracing kisses down my neck all the while. Some part of his skin is always in contact with mine, even as he pulls his shirt of his head and kicks his jeans to the floor. Having Jace lying in just a pair of plain black Calvin Klein boxers on top of me, staring into my eyes with such intensity I can almost taste it, really is better that I could ever imagine. A blush creeps up on my cheeks when I feel Jace against me through the think fabric of his boxers, and he looks down there and grins. "You're wearing too many clothes," he whispers, and I am too willing to agree. I let him push my jeans off with his feet, still in their socks, and lift myself up when he pulls my shirt up leaving me under him in a plain black bra and panties.

It's not like we've been in our underwear together before, but lying under him on a bed, knowing what we are about to do, feels different, more intimate.

"Clary." Jace's fingers caress my cheek softly. "I think I love you." His voice is as soft as his touch, and he says the words with such care you would think they are worth a million pounds. They are worth more.

"I think I love you too."

Jace's fingers trail down my stomach, past my navel, and slowly slip under the lining of my underwear making me gasp.

"Relax," he tells me, kissing my neck. "I've for you."

And I do.

.o.O.o.

I don't open my eyes, the intense feeling at my core still strong even though it has been hours. I roll over but wince at the pain that shoots through me, and gently place my legs back how they were before.

From the sound of things everyone is still up - the TV playing and knifes clattering in the kitchen - and I'm guessing someone ordered takeout from the smell.

My eyes peel open and I almost scream. Jace is literally in my face, his golden eyes bright, staring into mine, our noses merely millimetres apart. "Hi," he says before pulling away.

I notice he is dressed again, well, the bottom half of him is anyway. "Izzy ordered pizza, thought you might want some."

"Ooh," I say sitting up, clutching the quilt to my chest to hide my nakedness. "Nice."

Jace looks at me from his spot at the foot of the bed. "You okay?" He asks. "I mean..." His eyes flick down to between my legs and I blush.

"Yes," I say quickly, although it does feel quite sore. But I'm not going to admit that. "Pass me some clothes."

He tosses me his shirt and a pair of jeans that were on the floor, and I pull them on under the covers.

When I'm clothed I stand up slowly, and wince when I'm up, ignoring Jace's smirk. He hold his hands up in surrender when I glare at him, but soon offers me his hand to take, and leads me to the kitchen.

There are two big boxes of pizza sitting open in the table, Alec sat next to them with a piece in his hand and Izzy perched on the counter nibbling on a piece of pepperoni.

Her eyes widen when she sees me and she jumps down to the floor. "Clary, are you okay? What happened?" She asks, walking over to me.

"She's a little sore," Jace says before I can say anything. "But who wouldn't be, right?"

"Jace! That is so bloody disgusting!" Izzy says, throwing the half eaten pepperoni piece at his head. "I meant with your dad," she says to me.

"I know, Iz. And I'm fine; we just had a little disagreement, that's all."

"Sounded more than a 'little disagreement', Clary," Alec says from his seat in the corner. "I could hear every word. You seemed pretty pissed."

"Yeah, well," I say, grabbing a piece of pizza and stuffing it in my mouth. "It happens," I finish around a mouthful of food.

"You're so attractive," Jace says sarcastically from next to me.

I slap his arm, telling him to shut up as I finish of the piece. "I'm hungry."

"I wouldn't blame you." He winks and grabs a slice, slipping out of the kitchen before I can whack him again.

"Is that Jace's shirt?" Izzy asks as I sit at the table, leaning against the wall and putting my feet up on the spare chair.

"Yes."

**...I tried. That's what counts, right? Tell me what you thought x**


	18. Chapter 18

**I'm sorry for updating in a while, but I just haven't really been very inspirational lately, so this chapter was a bit slow. And I'm also sorry that it's short, but like I said, I just couldn't write this chapter. I'll try to make the next one bigger and better, and some serous shit will go down. But for now, enjoy this (short) chapter x**

_**Clary**_

"Claaaryyy"

Something tickles my nose, waking me from my sleep. I scrunch up my nose, not opening my eyes, and attempt to roll over.

"Clary, wake up."

The tickling continues and if it doesn't stop I'm going to sneeze all over whoever is trying to wake me.

"Come, baby, wake up."

The tickling stops and is replaced with something else, steaming and warming my nose. The smell is recognisable.

"I have coffee for you."

"From Java Lava?" I ask sleepily, prying my eyes opens. Jace is sitting next to me, looking down at face.

"Simon brought it over."

I take the cup from Jace and pull myself into a sitting position against the headboard. It's not until the coffee cup is away from my face that I realise I'm not in my own room. The dark blue walls and grey comforter indicate that I'm in Jace and Alec's room.

"Why am in your room?" I ask.

"You fell asleep on the couch last night and you bed wasn't exactly, well, it wasn't in decent shape to sleep in. So I put you in here. Now hurry up and drink your coffee, your mum's on the phone." Jace kisses my nose and stands up. "And she really wants to speak with you, says it's important. Simon's talking to her at the moment."

I head out of the room soon after Jace, sipping my coffee as I go, and follow the voices into the living room.

Simon is leaving against the couch, the phone pressed to his ear, talking to who I can only assume to be my mother. Izzy is sitting on the couch in front of Simon, resting her feet on the arm of the couch painting her toenails pink.

Simon seems relieved when he sees me and almost throws the phone to me before heading around to sit next to Isabelle.

"Hi," I say into the phone, sitting myself down in the armchair in the corner.

"Hello, darling. Sorry to wake you."

"Don't worry about it; I have coffee so it's fine."

My mother laughs but it seems empty. "I trust your father came round yesterday," she says, her voice serious.

I swallow. "Yes, he did."

"I need to speak with you, Clary. And it's serious." I can tell it is by the sound of her voice. "Now, either you can come round here, or I can come to you, I don't mind, it's up to you."

"Ur, I'll come round, don't worry."

"Okay, honey. Get here as soon as you can, please."

I nod but realise she can't see me. "Okay, bye."

"Bye - oh, and darling, don't bring Jace this time." And she hangs up.

I place the phone down. I wonder what can be so serious that she needs to see me alone? What if someone has died and they realised they need to take a different approach on telling me? What if Dad died? No. She would have told me_. Don't be stupid, Clary. No one's died_.

_Then what_? It probably has to do with all those things my father told me. He did seem rather flustered telling me all of that.

"What was the about?" Simon asks, pushing his classes up his nose.

"She wants to tell me something important."

Simon nods his head slowly, causing his classes to slip back down.

"Simon?" I ask.

"Hm?"

"Please can you come with me?" I was told not to bring Jace, but she said nothing about Simon. And I hadn't really noticed it until now, but I feel better Simon is around. If he came with I get the feeling that I would be able to handle whatever it is that I am going to be told.

He looks takes taken aback. "S-sure I can, Clary. I'd love to. When are we going?"

"I'll get dressed and then we'll go."

I didn't get time to find Jace and tell him where I was going, so I left the message with Izzy before Simon and I left.

**I know, it's a crap ending to a crap chapter, but hey. I'll try to update soon.**

**Leave a review? x**


	19. Chapter 19

**So, before we begin. Does anyone have a pair of doc martens? I long did how long did it take you to break them in? Because I just bought a new pair yesterday and now my feet are dead from walking in them. **

**Now it's mind blowing plot twist time, baby.**

_**Clary**_

My father wasn't too pleased to see Simon standing at his door with me, and had swiftly dismissed him to the kitchen, stating that he had no interest in our 'family business'. My mother was easier on him, telling him he was free to help himself to anything, or make himself whatever he liked. She had the lead me into the living room, her touch tender on my elbow, and sat me down on the couch. We stayed like that for a good five minutes until she broke the silence.

"Clary," she says, wariness and concern in her voice.

"Mum," I say, matching her tone.

"I need you to listen, okay? We have something very serious to discuss with you."

"Did someone die?" I ask bluntly.

My father sighs out of his nose. "Clarissa, this is a serious matter."

"So is death. I'm just saying, last time someone died you didn't really call me in to have a discussion about it, and I was just thinking that maybe this time it was someone who mattered. Wait, no, that was mean. I didn't mean that. Sorry, do continue."

My father sighs again, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Jocelyn, do something about your daughter," he mumbles.

"As I was saying," my mother continues, ignoring Valentine and focusing on me. "This is a serious matter, one that you need to listen to carefully. It's going to be hard, but I need you to not interrupt, okay?"

I nod and lean back in the sofa, watching my parents cautiously.

"Remember Jace's father? Stephan?" She asks, and I nod in response. "He's an old family friend, you see, Valentine and I were friends with him in college. Now, when Val and I were engaged, Stephan and I, we had what you could call an affair."

"What?" I ask, immediately abandoning the no interruptions rule. "You had an affair?"

"I said no interruptions, Clary," my mother scolds me before carrying on. "Yes, we did. It went on for around four months until I realised he already had wife, who was seven months pregnant. I broke it off immediately. A month later I found out that I was pregnant myself, and you can imagine how panicked I was. I didn't tell Stephan until much later, but I did tell Valentine, who told me to keep the baby. So I did. It wasn't until Stephan's baby was born when I told him. He told me he didn't want anything to do with this baby, and he didn't need 'another burden in his life, one was bad enough'. I didn't speak to him for the duration of my pregnancy; in fact, it was the first time a few nights ago for a long while.

"I eventually had the baby, Clary. I had her, and I didn't tell Stephan anything about it. She grew up with her father as Valentine, and was happy, as was I.

"We didn't realise at first that he was a Herondale - Jace that is - until a few days ago, Clary - Are you okay?"

She stops talking at stares at me. I can see my reflection in the window behind her head; my skin sickly pale, eyes a sunken green, mouth tight shut. I shake my head. I don't understand what she is trying to tell me.

"Clary," she says softly. "Valentine isn't your father, Stephan Herondale is."

No. I shake my head, still no looking at her. "Don't be stupid," I mumble, my eyes flicking to hers. I laugh, empty and hollow. "That's a stupid thing to say."

"Clary." She places her hand on my knee and I flinch away.

"Fucking stupid thing to say," I mumble quietly.

"Clary, I need you to listen to me, honey." My eyes flick back up to her.

"Valentine isn't your father; Jace Herondale isn't your boyfriend. He's your brother."

.o.O.o.

When I was younger in school, this one kid in my class, his parents were going through a divorce. One time, the teacher told him there are seven stages of grief. The first was disbelief and shock, then denial, anger, guilt, bargaining, depression, and finally acceptance. I hadn't believed her at the time, neither had the boy, but what did we know? We were twelve.

Jace flew through the first the few, skipped completely over denial and guilt - he didn't regret a thing, he told me - the only sign of anger was when she smashed a plate in the kitchen, and I think Izzy was more pissed at that than he was.

Depression didn't even touch him, or so he told me, but he was stuck on bargaining and would let go.

I however, took my time through the seven stages, making sure I got the most out of each and every one.

Stage One: Shock and Disbelief.

"I don't...I don't understand. He isn't my brother, can't be; you don't date your brother. He's my boyfriend, not my brother...what? Wha-what? No."

"Yes, Clary. And I'm sorry. We both are. We know you have...feelings...for him, it's clear you do. But you can't. I'm sorry darling, I truly am, but you have to understand why you can't see him anymore."

I have my knees hugged to my chest.

"I don't understand. I don't. Why can't we be together?"

"Because he's your brother, Clary. That's why."

"No he isn't!"

I guess you could say I moved past stage one quickly.

**Dun dun dunnnnn! Did anyone guess this was coming? Please don't kill me for it, if it's any consolation they aren't gonna break up. Next update won't be too long, I'm not mean enough to leave you on that cliff-hanger for ages.**

**Review? x**


	20. Chapter 20

**All the reviews I'm getting for this make me so happy, even if some are angry with me, but all the same they make me smile to know you actually care x**

**AND A WEEK UNTIL COHF GUYS! A WEEK! A FRIGGEN WEEK! And I'm meeting Cassandra Clare in June, is anyone else going to the book signing in London? I'm so damn excited.**

**Here's chapter 20. Jesus, **_**twenty chapters**_**! I never thought I'd hit this many, and I'm still going!**

_**Clary**_

Stage Two: Denial.

"He _isn't_ my brother. You," I point a finger at my father, standing up of the couch. "Are my father. And _you_," I thrust a finger in my mother's face. "Are a _liar_! A _fucking liar_."

"Clary, baby, please try to understand." My mother stands up with me, pleading, holding her hands out as if approaching a rabid animal.

"There's nothing to understand." I call Simon's name and he appears in the room in seconds, his mouth full of food.

"Yes?" He asks around whatever it he is he's eating.

"We're going," I tell him, walking over to him and taking his arm. He stumbles after me but stops when my mother calls him back.

"Clary, I gotta go talk with you mom," he tells me when I don't give up on pulling him along. "Clary, seriously, she's calling me."

"Fine." I release his arm and stand by the front door as he walks back in the living room. I hear hushed voices, and then Simon's strange noise of surprise that only he could make before he re-emerges, his face pale and eyes wide as they search mine.

"It's not true." I tell him as he opens his mouth so speak. "It's not."

"Clary." He starts slowly, taking the same approach my mother did. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine. Seriously fine. Please can we go home now?" I take his hand and start to pull him out of the door.

"Jesus, for a tiny girl you're really strong," I hear him mutter behind me.

.o.O.o.

We get home twenty minutes later, and I'm still trying to get my head around what I was just told. It doesn't make any sense. I don't look anything like Stephan. Stephan isn't my father. It was Valentine who taught me how to ride a bike, or who took me out for ice cream when I passed my spelling test, not Stephan.

It was a silly thing to say, ridiculous in fact, and what possessed her to think I would believe it I don't know.

Izzy is still in the same position as when we left; only her nails are dry now.

"Hey," I greet her through the door as I continue on to the kitchen.

I hear Simon go into the living room, and its a replay of before. Muttered voices, a gasp of surprise from Izzy, and more muttered voices. I ignore them as I continue to search the fridge for something to drink, my eyes scanning over Jace's cans of Mountain Dew and pulling on out of the packet.

When I turn around I almost crash into Izzy's chest she is so close. Her eyes are full of concern as they watch me walk across the kitchen. I open the can and take a sip as she watches me.

"Clary," she starts slowly. "Are you okay?"

"Jesus!" I exclaim, throwing my empty arm up in the air. "Why does everyone keep asking that? Why wouldn't I be alright?"

Izzy lowers her eyebrows. "What about Jace?" She asks her voice careful as if I might snap at the slightest provocation.

"What _about_ Jace?" I counter. "I don't know what you're all fussing over, it's not like it's true. It can't be." I laugh slightly to myself at the stupidity of it all. "Can't be."

I walk out of the room despite Izzy's talking and down the hall to the living room, where I find Alec sitting in the armchair, a steady, watchful gaze set on me as I sit myself down on the couch. Simon is there too, next to me on the sofa, his gaze the same. I gather he must have told Alec, too.

"Is there anyone you haven't blabbed to?" I ask him, my voice slightly sharper than intended.

He swallows nervously. "Sorry, I just thought they should know."

I sigh. "Look," I say strongly, sitting up straight. "It isn't true. He isn't my….my brother. That's just absurd. We don't look anything alike, and I'm sure I would have been told earlier in my life if I had a brother I never even knew about, they're only saying this because my dad doesn't like Jace and are trying to get me to stop seeing him."

They both watch me carefully, Alec leaning forward in his seat and Simon leaning back in his. "Do you want to go and get some sleep, Clary?" Simon asks me.

"No. It's only, what, two in the afternoon."

"Well why don't you go and lie down then?" Alec suggests. "Draw some, listen to some music?"

"I don't want to lie down. Where's Jace?"

Izzy appears behind me. "He went out before. I think his dad requested to see him or something. I really think you should go and get some rest, Clary. This can't be easy to find out."

I groan into my can and stand up. "Fine, if it will make you all happy, I'll go and lie down. But as soon as Jace gets back tell him I want to see him."

I see Izzy and Alec exchange a nervous glance between them. "Okay," Izzy agrees.

I went on like this for three more days, denying all things that were said to me regarding Jace, ignoring my thoughts pushing me to believe them. It seems Jace's dad had told him too, for when he came home he didn't even look at me before heading to his room and slamming the door, ignoring my calls after him. Initially it was Jace himself who set of stage two, and not just for being my brother, but for ignoring all my efforts to talk to him. This on top of everything else finally snapped something inside of me.

**I know my chapters are becoming shorter but it's the only way I can make them work.**

**Leave a review? x**


	21. Chapter 21

_**Clary**_

Stage three: anger

You could say I was upset, I mean, I was. But when you're upset about something, you watch a Disney movie, eat takeout, and get over it. This wasn't something that could be solved with Finding Nemo and some chicken fried rice, although I did try.

It was four days after the truth was revealed, four days since things had been completely normal around the apartment, and four days since I had looked Jace in the eyes. Everyone, even Simon, had tried to get Jace to talk to me. Leaving us alone in the same room together, which he would promptly leave, or in some cases (Izzy) yelling at him until he complied, which he didn't. Alec had even locked him out of their room for the night, hoping he would at least speak to me, but he just stayed on the couch.

I flop down on the couch which was previously occupied by Simon and Izzy, but they just left to go get dinner, and turn off the TV, letting silence take its place. Alec is in the kitchen with Magnus, I can hear them chatting, and Jace is out.

I close my eyes and lean back in the cushions, signing through my nose. Classes were busy today, work was hectic, and I had hardly sat down since this morning. It's peaceful, quiet save for the soft chatting from the next room, but it doesn't last long.

The click of the lock sounds throughout the apartment, the thump of a bag on the floor, and shuffling shoes. The door to the living room opens and I look behind me to see Jace staring at me. I send a weak smile his way, and raise my hand in a lame wave, hoping he would acknowledge me. It's cliché, but ever since he stopped talking to me it's like there's a piece of me missing, and seeing him standing there, his face blank of emotion as he looks down at me, seems to only make the hole grow.

He doesn't respond to me, only averts his gaze and walks to the other side of the room to pick something up, and swiftly exits again. Instead of the usual hollowness that fills me, anger wells up in its place, like a fire burning its way through my veins, taking every ounce of empathy I feel towards Jace and turning it against him.

I storm out of the room after him, intent on getting an answer out of him. "Jace!" I call angrily as I slam the door behind me, and for once, he stops. "What is _wrong_ with you?" I demand. "What is your _problem_?"

Slowly, he turns to me. "My _problem_?" He asks quietly, his voice flat. "You're asking me what my problem is?"

I nod. "You haven't spoken to me in four days; you haven't even looked at me. I know this is hard, Jesus, I'm going through the same thing. But why aren't you talking to me anymore?" My voice grows softer to the end, and I have to bite my lip to stop it from trembling.

Jace pauses, swallows, then answers. "I _can't_, Clary. I try, I really do, but I just look at you, and I just _can't_." His voice sounds desperate, and the look in his eyes matches.

"You think this is easy for me too?" I ask, and I notice the kitchen door is open, and both Magnus' and Alec's heads are poking out. "You think I'm happy that this happened? I'm not. You're not the only one in this situation, Jace, so stop acting like this only effects you. Because it doesn't." My voice begins to waver and I clench my fists into palms. "_I_ need comforting too! And not from Izzy, not from Alec, not even from Simon. I want _you_ to be the one that's there for me and you're _not_! I _need_ you, Jace, and I can't deny it anymore. I need you, and you aren't there for me, and that's what hurts most. Knowing that the only person I want to talk to can't even look at me. _I need you, Jace_!" The last sentence is almost a scream, and tears flow freely down my face. My hands are clenched so hard my nails cut into my palm but I don't release them. Instead, I watch Jace. He is silent again as he stares at me, a look of disbelief in his eyes.

And then he walks past me, his shoulder bumping my side, and out the front door, letting it slam behind him.

I stay standing, staring at nothing, and not moving. My breathing becomes uneven and jagged, and the hot tears burn my eyes. I am aware of Alec saying something to me, but I can't comprehend it. The anger is back, boiling my blood, and it craves destruction.

I barge past Alec and straight I to my room and the first thing to go is my stack of CDs. I send them tumbling to the ground, cases skidding everywhere. Immediately after is the top of my dresser, books, picture frames, and art supplies flying everywhere.

It feels good to trash something, and I know I will regret it later, but for now it feels good.

An enraged cry escapes me as I smash picture frame after picture frame, throw things, break things, and snap things, until I see my painting in the corner. Jace and I, in front of a city, its lights glowing. That will never happen.

Just as I reach towards it, planning to rip a hole through the middle, hands gram my arms and pin them behind me, pulling me against them. I cry and struggle to get free of whoever it is holding me, and kick out with my feet as I am picked up and carried away from my painting.

"Not that," Alec says, his voice strained from holding me. "You'll only regret it, not that."

"No," I cry, still struggling. "I want to! I have to!"

"Clary, calm down. Stop it."

I thrash my body around, pulling against Alec's strength in attempt to get out, but it only gets stronger.

"Magnus!" Alec calls, and within seconds there is another pair of hands, clamping around my shoulders, and Magnus is standing in front of me.

"Clary." Magnus speaks softly. "I need you to calm down for me, darling. Shh, stop. It's okay, it's okay." His words are soothing and he rubs my shoulders with his hands, relaxing me and easing away all the tension. I go limp in Alec's arms, leaning against his chest letting him support me. I sob once, and Alec leads me to my bed, now void of a duvet, and sits me down.

"Thanks," I mutter quietly, looking away from them both.

"Are you-"

"Don't ask me if I'm okay, because I'm not." I cut of Alec, fed up of people asking me if I was okay. It's clear that I'm not.

"I don't know what's got into him," he says, meaning Jace. "I thought he'd handle this better."

When I don't reply he stands and lays a hand on my shoulder. It feels like he is going to say something, but changes his mind and leaves my room, stepping over items on the floor. Magnus follows, but looks back at me at the door. "He'll come round," he says softly. "I'm sure of it." And then he leaves.

**I'm sorry I haven't updated in a few days but I struggled with this chapter and this was the best I could get it. Damn writers block. And I know Jace is being a douche, but he will get better, don't worry!**

**Leave a review? They make me smile x**


	22. Chapter 22

**Sorry this a taken longer than expected, **_**hopefully **_**the next one should be easier to write.**

**And City of Heavenly Fire! I haven't read it yet so no spoilers please! If anyone spoils it for me I will cease writing this story. You have been warned. **

_**Clary**_

Needless to say Izzy wasn't exactly impressed when she came home to see my room. I don't think she knew what hit her when she stepped through my door and I threw a paintbrush at her thinking she was Jace, but she soon recovered and took in my top of a room. I told her I would tidy up later when I felt better, but she just dismissed me and sent me to the kitchen where I 'couldn't do anymore damage'. I tried to argue with her, saying that there was in fact a lot of stuff in the kitchen that I could damage, but she just gave me a stern look and began to pick things up from the floor without another word.

Turns out that I couldn't do any more damage after all, because Simon was there. We sat, but we didn't talk, the look on my face probably enough to scare anyone into silence.

We still haven't said a word twenty minutes later, and I end up breaking the silence. "I should have helped her tidy up," I tell him, cradling my head in my hands, resting my elbows on the table.

Simon sighs. "She wouldn't have let you; this is Isabelle we're talking about."

I peek up at him from my finger. "Yeah, but I feel bad. I made the mess, I should clean it up."

"What'd you even do?" He asks, tapping his fingers on the table.

My head falls to my hands again and I sigh. "Jace pissed me off so I broke a few things-"

"A few?" I hear Izzy screech from down the hall. She suddenly appears in the doorway, hands on her hips as she looks at me, but she doesn't seem as angry as I thought she would. "Clary, half of your stuff is trashed." Her voice is soft and she drops her hands. "Alec told me what happened. Jace is a dick."

I shake my head. "No, he's not. It's my fault that this happened, not his. If it weren't for me, this would have never have happened. It's entirely my fault."

Stage four: guilt.

"This isn't your fault, Clary," Izzy says sitting down on the spare chair. "You did nothing wrong. It's not your fault you were _born_."

"No, but it is, Isabelle. _I'm_ the one that let him believe he had a chance, _I'm_ the one that let him love me, and I'm the one that ruined it all. I should have just never existed; it would make this whole thing a lot easier."

Simon's voice is hard and firm when he speaks. "Don't you dare ever say that again," he says. "You are important, Clary, _so_ important. I don't want to hear you say anything like that again. You're my best friend and if you never existed I wouldn't have anyone. I wouldn't have met Izzy if it weren't for you, I wouldn't have any friends. Don't say that again."

I attempt a smile. "That's nice, Simon," I say quietly. "But it doesn't change what happened."

"And neither will you blaming yourself," he says slowly. "You didn't want this to happen. Jace didn't want this to happen. None of us wanted this to happen. To be honest, I'm still confused as to what's happened. But I do know that it's not your fault. Okay?"

I remain silent, looking at the table.

"Okay?" He asks again and I nod once.

"I'm, er, going to lie down for a bit," I say standing up, not meeting anyone's eyes, and head out of the kitchen before anyone can say anything.

_**Jace**_

I shouldn't have walked out on her like that, it was wrong, so wrong. She's right, I'm not the only one this is affecting. She's the one that found out her father isn't really her father, that her whole life was a lie.

My father didn't exactly let me down easily; he didn't even explain himself really. _'Clary is your sister, Jonathan. I am her father.'_

I was upset, as was Clary. And the only way I could cope with her being my sister was by not talking to her, because if I talked to her - looked at her - I doubt I would be able to handle myself.

I don't look back I as descend the stairs and out the lobby, the late November air rising goose bumps on my arms. I start walking with no destination, just to clear my head.

She said she needed me, and I sure as hell need her, but she didn't hint at what she needed me for? Just as someone to talk to, as someone who loves her, or as her brother? Because I can't do that. If she really is my sister, it's unnatural to think about her this way, to want her, and I'm sure everyone else thinks that too.

My phone rings from my pocket, and from the ringtone I know its Alec, probably wanting to know where I am, how long will I be out, do I plan to come home at all.

I don't answer and let the phone keep on ringing until it ends, but soon after it picks up again, this time with Isabelle's ringtone.

No doubt she's ringing me to yell at me, tell me how much of a dick I am being to Clary. I don't need her to tell me that, I already know.

.o.O.o.

I spend the night on a friends couch, not wanting to go back home, lying in the dark dreading the moment I step back through the door.

In the morning I'm out before anyone else wakes, leaving a note of thanks pinned to the fridge before leaving. I decide to start the day off by beginning to amend Clary and I's relationship and head to McDonalds.

_**Clary**_

I must have fallen asleep, because when I wake morning light is coming in through the open curtains and a hair dryer is going down the hall. I sip up groggily and run my hand through my hair brushing it off my forehead. I turn my head when I catch a familiar scent filling my room. On my bedside table sits a large cup of McDonald's coffee, black, and two hash browns with a note underneath them. I reach out and take it.

_It's not your favourite, but it's the best I could do without getting escorted from the premises. I'm sorry, for everything.  
~J_

I stare at the note for a moment, the paper crinkling between my fingers. A note. From Jace. Saying he's sorry. He's sorry even though I yelled at him. And then he bought me coffee and breakfast.

I lay the note down carefully on my mattress and pick up a hash brown, taking a small bite.

I slowly eat them both, my eyes never leaving the note that I keep rereading, then pick up my coffee as I get out of bed.

I drink my coffee, my eyes cautiously flicking about to avoid bumping into someone. I don't think I could handle it if I ran into Jace, especially not when I'm drinking his coffee.

I attempt to walk past Izzy's room unnoticed on my way to the bathroom but fail.

"Clary!" She exclaims, a hairbrush halfway through her hair. Her voice grows grim. "Jace came home this morning."

"Yeah, I know." I not and hold my coffee up. "Brought me coffee."

Izzy purses her lips and goes back to drying her hair as I continue down the hallway.

As I reach the bathroom door, my hand on the handle, it flies open almost knocking me over, and Jace stands there, a towel around his hips and nothing more.

We stare at each other for what feels like the first time in forever, my coffee cradled beneath my chin and Jace's hand still on the door.

"I'm sorry," I blurt out before either of us can say anything else.

Jace knits his eyebrows together. "What for?"

I swallow before answering. "For everything. It's all my-"

"Hey. He cuts me off, his hand reaching out to cup my face, his thumb resting on my cheekbone. He is meant to be my brother, but his touch feels like something else; something better. "You have nothing to apologize for," he says soothingly. "You did nothing wrong."

I shake my head in a small motion. "No." My voice is quiet when I speak. "Jace, it is. I'm so sorry for everything that's happened, and it's my fault that we're in this situation. It always has been."

"Clary." His thumb grazes along my cheek. "How on earth is it your fault, hmm?" He doesn't give me time to answer. "Shut up and drink your coffee." He smiles weakly before walking back to his room.

I forget why I came to the bathroom, and just stand still with a smile still on my face. Maybe this wasn't as bad as I thought; maybe we could make it work.

**Jace has finally seen sense! Thank god.**

**Leave a review if you want, I wouldn't mind *winks* xx**


	23. Chapter 23

**Told you this update would be easier, and it was. I am getting a lot of reviews expressing their opinions about them being siblings but please just hang in there and trust me!**

**Here's chapter 23, enjoy x**

_**Clary**_

Stage five wasn't the most interesting stage, nor was it the longest. I just spent the time trying to figure out a way that made it possible for Jace and I not to be siblings so we could be together, and really none of my ideas were very...reliable.

For example, my conclusion was that Jace's father wasn't actually Stephan, but he was some other French guy that his mother previously dated while living in France and then didn't tell Stephan that the baby wasn't actually his. And to resolve the situation with my father I just decided that he was my father, no questions asked. Kind of like the denial stage.

It was when I realised that no matter how much I tried to bargain with the situation it would not work out that stage six started: depression.

And let's just say that this wasn't the prettiest stage.

Stage six: depression.

I haven't left my bed in days not wanting to see anyone. People, mainly Izzy and Simon, have tried to pry me out, promising that we don't have to see anyone, or that we can do whatever I want. I used to tell them to go away, but then as time went on I realised that it works better if I just don't respond.

Jace has only knocked once, yesterday. He refused to leave my door until I opened it, I believe he even slept against it all night. I hadn't slept at all last night, staying awake and listening to his soft snoring, wanting nothing more than to open the door and invite him in, but knowing at the same time that that would be the worst idea ever.

He only left half an hour ago, promising he would be back later. Awesome.

There is a knock at my door and I internally groan. Why can't people leave me alone to my misery?

"Clary?" Izzy calls softly. "I need to go out. Will you be okay on your own for a few hours?"

_Of course I will, I'm not a child._

"See you soon, okay?"

_No, you won't._

Okay, that sounded slightly suicidal.

_No, you won't because I'm not going to leave my room._

That's better.

With everyone out of the house I decide I may as well take advantage of that. I walk to the kitchen, make myself a coffee, and head to the living room.

I seat myself in the centre of the couch, pulling the knitted throw blanket around my shoulders and turning the TV on.

I end up doing the classic break-up girl thing and watching Bridget Jones whilst thinking how it could have been if that certain thing never happened whilst tears stream down my face and I hug my knees to my chest.

I am sobbing audibly when the door opens halfway through the film. I don't turn around to see who it is, but I can tell without looking that it's a guy who feels extremely uncomfortable walking into a room containing a crying girl. The door opens a second time and judging by the gasp and running of feet it's Izzy. Her arms wrap around my shoulders as she joins me on the couch, hugging me close to her. "Oh, honey," she murmurs into my shoulder. "Don't cry."

Why is it whenever anyone says 'don't cry' it makes you cry harder? A choking sob wracks through my body making me shudder.

Izzy makes shh-ing noises and rubs my arms. "Don't just stand there," she snaps at whoever came in with her. "Do something."

"Wh-what?" Alec sputters from behind us.

Izzy glances down at me and I manage to choke out a word: Jace.

Izzy mutters something over her shoulder and a door slams. She starts to say something but I cut her off.

"I'm fine, Isabelle." My voice is thick when I speak.

She shakes her head. "No, you're not. You haven't spoken for three days, haven't eaten. Christ, Clary, you haven't even slept no doubt. Don't tell me you're fine."

"Please leave me alone." It's harsh, I can tell by the way she looks at me, but it works.

She stands up and looks down at me, biting her lip. "Fine," she says sharply before walking out, leaving me alone with Bridget Jones and her huge granny underwear.

The door opens again not long after and Alec and Jace walk in, Alec lingering by the doorway whilst Jace crouches in front of me, taking my hands in his.

"What can I do?" He asks, squeezing my hands in his.

I want to tell him to not be my brother, I want to tell him to kiss me and cuddle with me until the tears stop falling, but I can't. It just won't happen.

Instead I close my eyes tightly, mentally count to ten and open them again, looking into his golden-honey eyes. They are full of concern and worry as they stare into my own, willing me to speak.

What _could_ he do anyway? I don't want him to be my brother, so I don't want him to act like it. But because he is my brother how else can he act?

"I could really do with a hug," I say quietly through my tears.

Jace's lips pull up in a small smile and he pushed himself up onto the couch next to me, pulling me to his chest where I bury my face in his shirt.

I know I missed being in Jace's embrace, but I never knew I craved it _this_ much. Just his smell comforts me, and his warmth sinks into me, heating up my body.

Jace rests his chin atop my head and wraps his arms around me, his hands on my back, holding me firmly and protectively.

I don't know how long we sit like that but in the end I am the one pull away. "It's not fair," I whisper as Jace looks at me, confused. "I don't want you as a brother, you're a shit brother."

"I am not a shit brother." Jace feigns hurt and clutches his hand to his chest. "What makes you say a thing like that?"

_Because you're one huge fucking turn-on_. "You didn't talk to me for days."

Jace sighs. "I'm really sorry about that, Clary. I really am. It was a pretty shitty thing to do and I wish I could take it back."

I nod. "I understand."

Jace smiles. "You're a rather crappy sister, youself."

"Why?"

"Because I shouldn't be turned on by my sister, should I?" His voice is low and husky when he speaks, almost a growl as he leans closer to me.

"You probably shouldn't, no," I tell him, my own voice low too.

His hand reaches up and tucks a strand in my hair behind me ear, effectively pulling my face closer to his, and I know we shouldn't be doing this, but it feels so right.

My eyes flutter closed as he leans down to close the gap, and our lips are barely millimetres apart when someone clears their throat loudly by the doorway sending my flying to the opposite end of the couch and Jace up onto his feet.

Izzy stands there, her face unsure of a certain emotion. Confusion, pity, disgust?

She looks to me and I look away, feeling my face burn, and Jace scratches the back if his neck awkwardly.

"What's happening?" She asks cautiously. "Clary?" She asks me when no one replies.

"...Erm...n-nothing. I was just...err...Jace was just...I mean we were just-"

"It doesn't matter. Well, it does. You can't, erm - just, you can't, you know."

"Yeah, Isabelle, I know." Jace's voice is hard as iron, and he pushes past her out of the room, his shoulders tense.

Izzy looks to me, and I follow Jace out if the room, but don't go after him, just go to my room.

I'm not mad at Izzy for interrupting us, or for telling us that we can't do what we were about to. Really, I'm not mad at Izzy. I'm just upset, about everything. Mainly that no matter how hard we try, Jace and I can never be siblings, even if we wanted to be.

**Could this be Clace happening again? Next chapter will be a biggish one, maybe not lengthy but important.**

**And I've nearly finished COHF! Not cried yet, but I'm pretty sure I will soon *lip trembles***

**Leave a review? They make me happy xxx**


	24. Chapter 24

**This isn't the best chapter, but I'm really looking forward for chapters to come. There may not be many chapters left to this, maybe one more and an epilogue but when this story is finished I can start on my new one I mentioned a while back, so that'll be fun.**

**Here's chapter 24, enjoy xx**

_**Clary**_

This was the longest stage, it lasted nearly a whole month. A whole month of moping around the apartment, muttering one word replies, only eating when someone made me. I can't count the about of depressing films watched, the tubs of ice cream eaten, or the cups of coffees drunk, but I know it was a lot, enough to warrant a frustrated groan from Izzy on several occasions.

Ever since the near-kiss with Jace a few weeks ago Izzy has been very careful not to leave us alone in a room together, making sure either she, Alec or Simon could see us. It annoyed me to no end; what were we going to do? Start having passionate, incestrial sex whenever someone turned their back? I don't think so. I hate to admit it, but I once threw up when I remembered what Jace and I had done, the guilt eating away at me, but oddly enough I didn't regret it. I didn't really regret anything to be honest.

Even now, watching Jace from across the room as he stretches upwards causing the bottom of his shirt to lift up, I don't fight off the feeling that rises in me, even though I should. I avert my gaze as Alec glances up at me from the book he is reading and go back to picking at the stitching in the cushion on my knee.

The phone rings from behind me, making me jump, and Alec gets up to answer it.

"Hello," he says in that weird phone voice almost everyone seems to adapt to when answering a phone. His face relaxes into a smile when whoever is on the other end starts talking, his lips curling up into a cute smile and his blue eyes sparkling. Magnus.

"Yeah, I can talk," Alec says into the receiver. At Magnus' reply his eyes flick to Jace and I hesitantly.

Jace rolls his eyes and motions for his best friend to leave the room, but when Alec doesn't budge he stands up and walks out of the room with him.

A few minutes later Jace walks back into the room, his arms swinging by his sides and his hair bouncing. He sits down in the armchair, placing his feet on the coffee table and sighing.

I watch him and he smiles at me.

"I like your sweater," he says indicating my oversized green knitted sweater that I was snuggles up in. "It's very...green."

"Well observed. Izzy's gonna shit bricks, you know."

"And why's that?"

"Because we're 'breaking the rules'," I tell him, using quotation marks.. "You know, the 'don't let them have sex because they're related' rule."

Jace smirks. "Who said anything about having sex? And besides, it's Alec's fault, not ours."

"Don't try to get Alec in trouble, that's not nice," I scold him.

He shrugs. "Lucky for him Izzy isn't in for another few hours."

We fall silent again, me looking down at the cushion and Jace looking at me. I can hear Alec talking excitedly from his room and can't help but wonder what he's talking about. At least his love life is going well.

"You look tired," Jace says, breaking the silence. "Have you been sleeping lately?"

I shrug. I have been sleeping, just not well.

"You look like a zombie."

I glare at him. "Thanks, that's just what I was aiming for."

He holds his hands up in surrender, muttering a sorry.

"Seriously though, you should get some sleep."

I throw the cushion down next to me and sand up. "Gah! Fine."

I start towards the door, muttering, "bloody control freak" under my breath as I go. I hear his dry chuckle before I'm out of earshot.

A few hours later - I didn't sleep, just listened to extremely loud music with my headphones - I hear raised voices coming from somewhere down the hall. One voice is defiantly Isabelle's, the other possibly Alec's, and their argument sounds more than a simple feud between siblings.

Confused, I head out of my room and follow the commotion. I see Jace standing not too far down from the kitchen, where I can see two shadows emanating from. From the lean of his body and the look on his face I would say he is listing in, and I join him.

He looks to me as I stand next to him but doesn't say anything.

"What's happening?" I ask quietly, leaning my body around Jace's to try and hear better.

I pick up on some of the conversation.

"...can't leave!" I hear Izzy exclaim in a hushed tone. "I need you here! I don't want you to go."

"I'm sorry, Iz, but it's my choice. Magnus only lives a few blocks away, I can visit all the time."

_Whoa...what?_

I look up at Jace and he shrugs.

"But if you leave then it'll only be me and Jace and Clary."

At this Jace looks down at me, confusion etched across his face.

"She doesn't want to leave us alone together," I whisper to him.

"Isabelle, they're not children, they don't need to be under constant supervision. They used to date, so what? They can't any more, and they know that."

Izzy is quiet.

"I'm going to move in with Magnus in four days. I'll call you every day when I'm gone, I promise you can come round whenever you like. Okay?"

I hear Izzy sniff. "Okay," she whispers, and I think she hugs Alec.

I look back to Jace, who is staring at the kitchen door looking lost. But of course, Alec is his best friend, almost his brother. Without Alec it would just be Jace, Izzy and I, and even I know that no guy wants to be stuck in a house by himself with two girls. Especially two girls who one) used to be your girlfriend but is now your sister, or two) is a scary control freak who flips out if you spill coffee on the floor.

I reach up and place my hand on his upper arm, the muscles tense and hard under his shirt, and squeeze gently in indirection for us to leave.

It's good timing to, because as we walk away Izzy come out, not even sparing a glance in our direction.

.o.O.o.

Later the next morning - well, afternoon (it depends how you look at it) - Izzy walks into my room without knocking and stands at the foot of my bed looking down at me, hands on her hips.

I look up at her from my laptop, pulling my headphones off.

She motions for me to get up, and when I don't comply she rolld her eyes and drags me up and out of the door, ignoring my protests as my laptop almost falls to the floor. I stop struggling soon and allow Izzy to lead me into the living room.

Jace is already there, sitting in his usual place in the corner, his legs crossed one ankle on his knee, and raises an eyebrow when we enter.

Izzy sits me down on the couch and stands before us both.

"Yes?" Jace asks slowly when Izzy doesn't say anything.

"I'm fed of you moping around all the time," she says to me. "I know it's hard and it's a big shok for us all, but it's been what? Two months since you've found out? And clearly you two are not going to get over it."

She pauses to look at Jace and I. "So, Clary. I've booked you an appointment at the hospital to test both you and your fathers DNA. They will also test yours, Jace, and compare the two.

"I could only get an appointment for December 17th, so keep that date clear."

"A DNA test?" Jace asks, sounding shocked. "Like with science labs and glass tubes full of our blood?"

Izzy shrugs. "Something like that. I don't know, I only made the appointment."

"Does my dad know?" I ask Izzy.

She nods. "Your mother and I discussed it. All you two need to do is turn up."

"December 17th?" Jace asks eagerly. "That only twenty days!" He stops and looks to me. "Thanks, Iz."

I smile and nod at her, and she winks back.

**A lot of you requested a DNA test, so here you go. The truth will be revealed next chapter! Just bear in mind I haven't the slightest idea of what happens in a DNA test so it will probably be incorrect *shrugs***

**Once again, leave a review? x**


	25. Chapter 25

**This is the last chapter guys, and I just wanted to say thank you for the amazing support this story got! I mean, over 300 reviews, 200 follows and 100 favourites, I love all of you so much! I may do an epilogue if you all want me to, just a kinda pointless, cute, clace fluff epilogue? Anyway, tell me if you want that, I'd be more than happy to write one!**

**Okay, gus, here's chapter 25, enjoy x**

_**Jace**_

December 17th could not come sooner. Alec moved out to live with Magnus weeks ago leaving me with a room to myself, which I'm not complaining about, it's just strange not having him around. In all fairness he does come round every other day and calls when he doesn't, for Isabelle's sake more than anyone elses.

The twenty days until the appointment went by agonisingly slowly, filled with stupid Christmas commercials and the anxiety that came with not knowing. It shocked me when Izzy came forth with her plans, how did I not think of that? It should have been the first thing that came to mind, but then again, its not like Clary suggested it either.

I could tell the wait was killing Clary as well. She wasn't as upset as she was before, she was talking more, laughing occasionally, and began to draw again. The bins filled up more often with scrunched up pieces of paper she had thrown away, and her sketchbook was almost always with her and a pen or pencil was always near by.

On the day of the appointment Clary's parents picked her up and I drove down by myself, telling Izzy if she wanted to come she can get the bus. We both arrived at the same time and I met up with them at the door. The hospital had been expecting us and the lady at the desk had sent us straight through with a nurse, who instructed Clary, her father and I to sit on a bed while she took a vial of out blood each.

The nurse still isn't back, its been over an hour, and Valentine has gone off to get us all coffee. At least, I hope he gets me coffee, I did ask for one. Clary sits on the bed next to me looking down at her knees, her legs not touching the floor, and Jocelyn sits in the plastic chair by the door, neither of them speaking for some unknown reason, so I decide to play along, not saying a word.

The door opens and we all look up simultaneously, expecting either results or coffee, preferably both, but we are all let down when Izzy sticks her head in.

"The nurse told me I could wait in here?" She says closing the door behind her and walking further into the room. "Hi, Mrs Morgenstern," she greets Jocelyn as she sits in the spare chair next to her.

"Hello, Isabelle, it's nice to see you. It's been so long, how are you?"  
A quiet conversation erupts between the two and I catch Clary rolling her eyes, trust Izzy to come into the most silent room and strike up a conversation. Typical.

The door opens a second time and both coffee and results walk in, only I don't get coffee. Rude. Valentine moves to stand behind his daughter as the nurse takes out a sheet of paper.

She greets us all in turn before she starts speaking. "The DNA samples we got from each of you were affective, and we have a match."

I find myself holding my breath.

"Mr Morgenstern, you _are _the father of Miss Clarissa Fray. Mr Montclair," she looks to me, although I already know what she will say. "You are _not _related to Miss Fray, I'm sorry."

"_Sorry?_" I exclaim. "Why would you be _sorry?_" I jump to my feet and stare at Clary, the girl who was my girlfriend, but then was my sister, but now isn't and watch as realisation dawns on her face and she stares up at me. She's not my sister, we're not related. I can hug her, I can kiss her. _I can kiss her!_

I pick her up off the bed by her waist, causing her to squeal with delight, and spin her around in the air once before planting her back on her feet. I can hear Isabelle's excited giggling behind us, and the quiet, happy muttering of Jocelyn and Valentin, but tune them all out as I look down at Clary, and crash my lips against hers, pulling her close like I have craved to do for months, all of my need, want, and desire coming out in one kiss. She doesn't hesitate to kiss me back, her fingers tangling with my hair and her body pressing against mine. We become one body fuled by passion, not caring who is watching, and only break appart when air becomes absolutely nessisary.

I lean my forehead down on hers, our noses brushing lightly togther, her crazy smile matches my own and our panting breath mixes together.

"I love you so much," I whisper against her lips.

I feel her breath, cool, against my own. "I love you, too."

We stay like this, staring into one and others eyes, until Izzy speaks from behind us.

"Thank god that's over," she says. "Get a damn room."

**Yay! Happy ending! All is well in Clace land! Oh mg god im so happy I get to watch The Fault In Our Stars early! Crying right now!**

**Like I said earlier, if you want an epilogue, just say so!**

**Leave a review? xxx**


	26. Chapter 26: epilogue

**Sorry it's taken so long to update, but I have finally. Here is the epilogue, the last chapter, the grand finale. Enjoy xx**

_**Clary**_

"I'm going to join a play."

Jace's head springs up, eyes wide and jaw dropped, revealing the unpleasant site of half chewed spaghetti.

I scrunch my nose distastefully, averting my eyes from the mess. "Close your mouth Jace."

He doesn't, instead, he gulps a few times - and how he does it with his mouth open I have no idea - and then start to splutter and choke.

"What?" He still makes gagging noises. "Jace, what?"

He stops, for a split second and then manages to speak in between wheezes. "You, in a play, you can't even act."

"How supportive of you," I retort dryly, narrowing my eyes at him.

His hands, one still holding his fork, hurriedly lift up making motion to say that he hadn't meant to offend me. Instead though, his food flicks of his utensil and lands all over the floor and walls. A stray chunk of meat lands on my shirt, staining the white material red.

Jace's face grows white and he grabs one of the clothes to try and rub the food away.

"Ew, Jace, get off." He keeps rubbing at a once would have been easy to remove stain was quickly becoming rubbed into my favourite top. "Jace, stop with the fucking cleaning."

The realisation of what he has done dawns on him all at once and he sits back, probably trying to find a chair but since the last time Magnus came round he had stolen it at Jace's 'take a seat' there wasn't one, and he promptly lands on the bone, enticing a loud screech from him. "Oh shit, oh fuck, oh my God. Stop the pain Clary."

I close my eyes and rub my temples for a few brief seconds before bending down to trying and lift him up to his feet. He remains on the floor, nursing his aching bum and refusing to help-in any way- to get him out of his situation sitting in a pile of sauce and spaghetti.

"When did you put on so much weight?"

He stops gasping suddenly, turning red, watery eyes on me. "I'll have you know this is all muscle."

"You never go out the house Jace."

"So?"

I sigh again. This is a lot harder than expected.

"Just get up," I moan, tugging on his arm.

"I think I've broken my bum."

"You can't break your bum, Jace."

"You're no doctor!" He then resumes moaning and groaning, complaining about his 'broken bum' and how he was never going to be able to surf again. He's never surfed in his life.

"Will you love a cripple, Clary?"

"Jace you're not going to be crippled. Now quit moaning and get up, Izzy's gonna kick your ass when she sees the kitchen."

With that he springs up, dusting off his behind. "Would you look at that? I'm healed."

I can't help but laugh at him, and wrap my arms around his waist, pulling myself close to his chest. "Is your butt okay?" I ask him, nuzzling my nose into his chest.

I feel his hands on my lower back and the vibrations in his chest as he speaks. "No."

I slip my hands into the back pockets of his jeans and squeeze gently. "What about now?"

"I take it back," he murmurs. "You must be a doctor. You have the magic touch."

"Do I?" I reply, and reach up on my toes to touch my lips to his.

Our lips barley brush together when Jace speaks. "Sorry to ruin the moment, but we have to clean the kitchen."

_We?_ I scoff and pull away slightly. "What do you mean 'we'? It's your mess." I pat him on the chest twice before making my way around him and out of the kitchen.

I hear Jace sputtering behind me as he tries to come up with something, but all he comes out with is: "But that's not fair!"

"Izzy will be home soon," is my only reply as I walk out of the messy kitchen and into the living room.

I don't hear him sneak up behind me, so when his strong atoms wrap around my stomach and lift me into the air a small scream escapes me, soon to turn into laughter. Jace spins me around once but doesn't set me down. I am about to ask what he is doing when his lips press down on me from behind, silencing any words thinking to escape.

"I thought we were a team?" His whispers into my ear, his breath stirring my hair.

"We are." My voice wavers from his proximity and my eyes flutter closed.

"So we go down together."

"That's not fair!" I wiggle in his arms but his grip never falters. "It's your mess!"

"A mess that you made me create. Are you really going to be in a play?"

I sigh. Why does no one believe me when I tell them things like this? "Yes. Well, not directly."

"What does that mean?" Jace walks over to the couch, still carrying me, and sits down so I am on his lap.

"It means that I'm not actually going to be acting, just painting the sets for it. Izzy asked me too for her drama group. I would have told you if you didn't go and spit food all over me."

"Sorry about that. And sorry for laughing too, babe. You'd be a brilliant actress."

"I'm going to be the next Audrey Hepburn," I deadpan. "What made you think I would actually volunteer to be in a play? _Acting_."

I feel Jace shrug. "You're full of surprises."

I tilt my head back to look up at him and grin. "Like that time that I was your sister?"

He lowers his eyebrows. "We agreed never to talk about that. That was a dark time that I'd rather forget about."

"Amen to that."

The door opens and the familiar click of Izzy's heels sounds down the hallway, into the kitchen, and then-

"_What the hell happened in here?!_"

She storms into the living room, a deadly glare in her eyes as she looks at the two of us.

Jace and I glance at each other, but before he has time to respond I quickly peck him on the lips and jump up.

"It was Jace," I say quickly before running out past Izzy, giggling like a little girl, and into Jace's room.

**Sorry for the lame ending, I just completely lacked inspiration for this, my mind has been on another story lately. And one last thing, thank you too If I Could I Wouldn't for helping me with this chapter! And thanks to everyone who has read my story, I love you all! Xxx**

**One last time, review? x**


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